6 worked Sage Accounting Support case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to sage accounting support work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
5 Years Filed, $139,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Courier Subcontractor, Surrey
Client: A courier subcontractor paid by the drop · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed5
Assessed balance removed$139,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Surrey, British Columbia
A courier subcontractor paid by the drop in Surrey, British Columbia had not filed for 5 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments. The business was carrying meals and entertainment coded at full cost with the input tax credit claimed on the whole amount. That came on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did for A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Surrey, British Columbia
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We converted the foreign-currency purchases at transaction-date rates and recorded the exchange difference at settlement instead of burying it in cost of sales. We filed the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Surrey, British Columbia
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $139,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Client: A two-location cafe · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$22,500
Review duration10 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation — A two-location cafe, Burnaby, British Columbia
A two-location cafe in Burnaby, British Columbia was selected for review. A bookkeeping file where owner draws, payroll and supplier payments all landed in the same account had shown up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on Sage accounting support came to $22,500.
What we did for A two-location cafe, Burnaby, British Columbia
We rebuilt sales from the processor settlement reports so gross sales, fees and refunds each landed in an account of their own. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result — A two-location cafe, Burnaby, British Columbia
The review closed with no change. $22,500 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 3 · Cash and remittance control
$38,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Subscription Box Retailer, Red Deer
Client: A subscription box retailer · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$38,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation — A subscription box retailer, Red Deer, Alberta
A subscription box retailer in Red Deer, Alberta was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. A payroll clearing account that had never been brought to zero, carrying a balance nobody could explain explained most of the gap.
What we did for A subscription box retailer, Red Deer, Alberta
We separated the owner’s personal spending out of the corporate accounts and cleared the resulting shareholder loan properly. We also built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result — A subscription box retailer, Red Deer, Alberta
$38,000 was released back into working capital. Remittances have been on time every period since, and the forecast shows the tax outflow before it lands.
Case Study 4 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $70,000 Vacated — Small Law Practice, Barrie
Client: A small law practice · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$70,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation — A small law practice, Barrie, Ontario
A small law practice in Barrie, Ontario was carrying $70,000 of penalties and interest. The charges arose from three years of returns filed off numbers nobody could trace back to a bank statement. Much of that amount accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did for A small law practice, Barrie, Ontario
We rebuilt the ledger from bank and card statements and matched every receipt to a transaction. We removed duplicated input tax credits before they became a review. We framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result — A small law practice, Barrie, Ontario
The assessment was vacated. $70,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 5 · Sale and succession
$230,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Equipment Rental Yard, Toronto
The situation — An equipment rental yard, Toronto, Ontario
An equipment rental yard in Toronto, Ontario had an offer on the table and 24 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption. Passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares was part of the reason.
What we did for An equipment rental yard, Toronto, Ontario
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests. We cleared the payroll and sales tax clearing accounts every month and tied each remittance to the liability it settled. All of it was done well ahead of the closing date.
The result — An equipment rental yard, Toronto, Ontario
The sale closed on schedule with $230,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 6 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $29,000 Freed — Specialty Coffee Roaster, Edmonton
Client: A specialty coffee roaster · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$29,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation — A specialty coffee roaster, Edmonton, Alberta
A specialty coffee roaster in Edmonton, Alberta was opening in a second province. That meant different filing obligations and a different payroll regime. A receivables list that included invoices collected eleven months earlier already sat in the file.
What we did for A specialty coffee roaster, Edmonton, Alberta
We recoded the meals and entertainment accounts to the statutory limit and reversed the over-claimed input tax credits before the next return went in. We then put monthly reporting in place. That let the owner see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result — A specialty coffee roaster, Edmonton, Alberta
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $29,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Reviewed by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant for the 2025 tax year. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
