6 Small Business Corporate Tax Return tax and accounting engagements in full — what the client came to us with, what we did, and what it was worth. Each one is specific to small business corporate tax return work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $40,000 Saved Each Year — Incorporated Consultancy, Ottawa
An incorporated consultancy in Ottawa, Ontario had outgrown the structure it started with. Passive investment income that had crossed the $50,000 grind threshold unnoticed was the immediate problem; the longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did
We mapped the current structure, modelled the target, and modelled salary against dividends across both the corporation and the shareholder’s personal return, then set the remuneration mix for the year — with the tax-deferred elections filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $40,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $71,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Franchise Operator with Three, Burnaby
Client: A franchise operator with three locations · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$71,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A franchise operator with three locations in Burnaby, British Columbia was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. A small business limit quietly shared across three associated corporations nobody had mapped was tying up $71,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual.
The result
$71,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$112,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Second-Generation Family Manufacturer, Moncton
Client: A second-generation family manufacturer · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$112,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A second-generation family manufacturer in Moncton, New Brunswick assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Two corporations under common control filing as if each had its own $500,000 limit meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and moved passive holdings into a separate structure so the operating company’s small business limit stopped grinding down.
The result
$112,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 4 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $13,000 Vacated — Professional Corporation, Vancouver
Client: A professional corporation · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$13,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A professional corporation in Vancouver, British Columbia was carrying $13,000 of penalties and interest arising from two corporations under common control filing as if each had its own $500,000 limit, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We mapped the association rules across the group, allocated the business limit deliberately on Schedule 23, and corrected the prior year by adjustment request and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $13,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 5 · Planning that cut the bill
$34,500 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Holding Company and Its, Halifax
Client: A holding company and its operating subsidiary · Where: Halifax, Nova Scotia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$34,500
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A holding company and its operating subsidiary in Halifax, Nova Scotia asked for a second opinion on small business corporate tax return after three years of rising tax. The review found a balance-due date the owner believed was the same as the filing date.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then modelled salary against dividends across both the corporation and the shareholder’s personal return, then set the remuneration mix for the year.
The result
First-year saving of $34,500, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 6 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $720,000 Less Tax On Closing — CCPC with Two Shareholders, Red Deer
Client: A CCPC with two shareholders · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$720,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A CCPC with two shareholders in Red Deer, Alberta was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $720,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Reviewed for the 2025 tax year by Udit Gupta, Certified Tax Accountant. Figures describe representative engagements of this type; outcomes depend on your own facts. Client names and identifying details are omitted for confidentiality.
