6 Startup Bookkeeping Setup 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 startup bookkeeping setup work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 5 Weeks To 7 Days — Consultant Incorporating After Two, Edmonton
Client: A consultant incorporating after two years of self-employment · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before5 weeks
Close time after7 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a consultant incorporating after two years of self-employment in Edmonton, Alberta was built on a December 31 year-end chosen by default that put the balance due at the worst point in the cash cycle. The year-end had taken 5 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction and moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 7 days instead of 5 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 2 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $27,000 Saved Each Year — Contractor Incorporating for Liability, Toronto
Client: A contractor incorporating for liability reasons · Where: Toronto, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$27,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A contractor incorporating for liability reasons in Toronto, Ontario had outgrown the structure it started with. GST/HST collected for eight months before the RT account was ever opened 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 revived the corporation, filed the outstanding annual returns, and set a compliance calendar covering both the corporate registry and the CRA — 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 $27,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$53,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Family Business Adding a, Barrie
Client: A family business adding a second class of shares · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$53,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A family business adding a second class of shares in Barrie, Ontario assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. A December 31 year-end chosen by default that put the balance due at the worst point in the cash cycle meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and restructured the share capital so dividends could be directed deliberately, respecting the TOSI rules.
The result
$53,000 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 · Planning that cut the bill
$47,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — E-Commerce Seller Incorporating Federally, Red Deer
Client: An e-commerce seller incorporating federally · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$47,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
An e-commerce seller incorporating federally in Red Deer, Alberta was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left a corporation dissolved administratively for missed annual returns while still operating on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then selected a year-end that put the balance-due date after the seasonal cash peak, then registered every program account the business actually needed.
The result
The change saved $47,000 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive; the position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
Case Study 5 · Deadline rescue
8-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $11,000 — Founder Setting Up a, Burnaby
Client: A founder setting up a holding structure · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$11,000
Filed with15 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation
With the deadline for startup bookkeeping setup weeks away, a founder setting up a holding structure in Burnaby, British Columbia was carrying a single class of common shares that made income splitting impossible. The exposure if the date slipped was around $11,000.
What we did
We reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 15 days to spare. $11,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 6 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $84,000 Cut From A 5-Year Backlog — Partnership Converting to a, Surrey
Client: A partnership converting to a corporation · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$84,000
Backlog cleared5 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a partnership converting to a corporation in Surrey, British Columbia called, 5 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat a December 31 year-end chosen by default that put the balance due at the worst point in the cash cycle.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and revived the corporation, filed the outstanding annual returns, and set a compliance calendar covering both the corporate registry and the CRA. 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 $84,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
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.
