6 Student 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 student tax return work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $99,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Commissioned Salesperson, Edmonton
Client: A commissioned salesperson · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$99,000
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a commissioned salesperson in Edmonton, Alberta called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat RRSP room accumulated over eight years and never used in a high-income year.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and carried the capital loss back against gains reported in the prior three years and generated a refund rather than a carry-forward balance. 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 $99,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $98,000 Across 4 Open Years — Gig-Economy Driver, Victoria
Client: A gig-economy driver · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$98,000
Open years claimed4
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a gig-economy driver in Victoria, British Columbia started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 4 years, driven by three years of returns filed without the slips that had been mailed to an old address.
What we did
We pulled the full slip history from the CRA record, refiled the affected years by adjustment request, and recovered the credits that had been missed, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $98,000 across the open years, and the tracking now in place means the following year's claim is documented as the work happens rather than reconstructed afterwards.
Case Study 3 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $90,000 Of Cash Released — Recently Separated Taxpayer, Winnipeg
Revenue at a recently separated taxpayer in Winnipeg, Manitoba was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat foreign accounts that had crossed the T1135 threshold two years earlier.
What we did
We filed the outstanding T1135 disclosures under the voluntary disclosure route before the CRA raised them. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$90,000 of cash was released from the working capital cycle, and the expansion completed with every registration and filing obligation covered from day one.
Case Study 4 · CRA review defended
$83,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Physician in Their First, Moncton
Client: A physician in their first year of practice · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$83,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a physician in their first year of practice in Moncton, New Brunswick covering student tax return for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $83,000, driven by a rental property reported without any capital cost allowance analysis.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We reset the medical expense claim window, transferred credits between spouses, and applied the tuition and disability amounts to the return that used them 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 $83,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 5 · Planning that cut the bill
$26,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Retiree Drawing From Three, Surrey
Client: A retiree drawing from three sources · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$26,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A retiree drawing from three sources in Surrey, British Columbia was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left three years of returns filed without the slips that had been mailed to an old address on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then carried the capital loss back against gains reported in the prior three years and generated a refund rather than a carry-forward balance.
The result
The change saved $26,500 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 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
21 Months Reconciled And $2,700 Of Input Tax Recovered — Taxpayer with US-Source Dividends, Kelowna
Client: A taxpayer with US-source dividends · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled21
Input tax recovered$2,700
Close time6 days
The situation
A taxpayer with US-source dividends in Kelowna, British Columbia was carrying RRSP room accumulated over eight years and never used in a high-income year. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 21 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We pulled the full slip history from the CRA record, refiled the affected years by adjustment request, and recovered the credits that had been missed, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
21 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 6 days, and $2,700 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
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.
