6 Small Business Payroll Services 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 payroll services work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $42,000 Cut From A 6-Year Backlog — Landscaping Company with Seasonal, Victoria
Client: A landscaping company with seasonal staff · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$42,000
Backlog cleared6 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a landscaping company with seasonal staff in Victoria, British Columbia called, 6 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $42,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 2 · Sale and succession
Intergenerational Transfer Completed With $850,000 Deferred — Construction Firm with Union, Barrie
Client: A construction firm with union and non-union crews · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Tax deferred$850,000
TransferCompleted
RecordsReview-ready
The situation
A generational transfer at a construction firm with union and non-union crews in Barrie, Ontario had been discussed for years without a plan. Passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares meant the transfer as contemplated would have been fully taxable.
What we did
We reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s, sequencing the steps so each one was complete and documented before the next depended on it.
The result
$850,000 of tax was deferred through the transfer, and the successor generation took over a corporation whose records stood up to review.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$128,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Logistics Operator with Drivers, Lethbridge
Client: A logistics operator with drivers in three provinces · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$128,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A logistics operator with drivers in three provinces in Lethbridge, Alberta assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Remittances still going out monthly after the business had moved to the accelerated threshold meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and reviewed each contractor against the CRA’s control and integration tests, converted those who met the employment tests, and priced the transition before it was forced by a ruling.
The result
$128,000 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 · CRA review defended
$113,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Growing Tech Team, Vancouver
Client: A growing tech team with stock options · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$113,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a growing tech team with stock options in Vancouver, British Columbia covering small business payroll services for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $113,000, driven by remittances still going out monthly after the business had moved to the accelerated threshold.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We moved the account to the correct remitter frequency, caught up the arrears, and filed a taxpayer relief request that cancelled the bulk of the penalty and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $113,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 5 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $80,000 Freed — Restaurant with Heavy Seasonal, Ottawa
Client: A restaurant with heavy seasonal turnover · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$80,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A restaurant with heavy seasonal turnover in Ottawa, Ontario was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and a director facing a personal assessment for unremitted source deductions already in the file.
What we did
We reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips and put monthly reporting in place so the owner could see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $80,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 6 · Planning that cut the bill
$23,500 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Dental Practice, Surrey
Client: A dental practice · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$23,500
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A dental practice in Surrey, British Columbia asked for a second opinion on small business payroll services after three years of rising tax. The review found T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s.
The result
First-year saving of $23,500, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
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.
