6 worked Student Tax Return 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 student tax return work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $99,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Self-Employed Consultant, Edmonton
Client: A self-employed consultant · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$99,000
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation — A self-employed consultant, Edmonton, Alberta
By the time a self-employed consultant in Edmonton, Alberta called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat a rental property reported without any capital cost allowance analysis.
What we did for A self-employed consultant, Edmonton, Alberta
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 — A self-employed consultant, Edmonton, Alberta
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 — Pension-Splitting Retiree, Victoria
Client: A retiree splitting eligible pension income with a spouse · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$98,000
Open years claimed4
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation — A retiree splitting eligible pension income with a spouse, Victoria, British Columbia
An incentive review at a retiree splitting eligible pension income with a spouse in Victoria, British Columbia started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 4 years, driven by medical expenses claimed on a calendar-year basis when a shifted window was worth far more.
What we did for A retiree splitting eligible pension income with a spouse, Victoria, British Columbia
We filed the outstanding T1135 disclosures under the voluntary disclosure route before the CRA raised them, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result — A retiree splitting eligible pension income with a spouse, Victoria, British Columbia
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 — Student Filer, Winnipeg
Client: A full-time student with tuition credits and part-time earnings · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$90,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation — A full-time student with tuition credits and part-time earnings, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Revenue at a full-time student with tuition credits and part-time earnings in Winnipeg, Manitoba was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat years of small donation receipts claimed one at a time instead of pooled onto a single return.
What we did for A full-time student with tuition credits and part-time earnings, Winnipeg, Manitoba
We reported the disposition and filed the principal residence designation for the year of sale, closing the late-designation exposure before the CRA raised it. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result — A full-time student with tuition credits and part-time earnings, Winnipeg, Manitoba
$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 — First-Year Physician, 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 physician in their first year of practice, Moncton, New Brunswick
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 foreign accounts that had crossed the T1135 threshold two years earlier.
What we did for A physician in their first year of practice, Moncton, New Brunswick
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We pooled the carried-forward donation receipts onto the higher-income spouse’s return so the whole claim sat above the low-rate first tier and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result — A physician in their first year of practice, Moncton, New Brunswick
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 — Employee with Foreign Accounts, Surrey
Client: An employee with foreign investment accounts · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$26,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation — An employee with foreign investment accounts, Surrey, British Columbia
An employee with foreign investment accounts in Surrey, British Columbia was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left RRSP room accumulated over eight years and never used in a high-income year on the table.
What we did for An employee with foreign investment accounts, Surrey, British Columbia
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then obtained the signed T2200 and rebuilt the employment-expense claim on the prescribed form with the supporting records attached to the file.
The result — An employee with foreign investment accounts, Surrey, British Columbia
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 — Multi-Source Retiree, Kelowna
Client: A retiree drawing from three sources · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled21
Input tax recovered$2,700
Close time6 days
The situation — A retiree drawing from three sources, Kelowna, British Columbia
A retiree drawing from three sources in Kelowna, British Columbia was carrying medical expenses claimed on a calendar-year basis when a shifted window was worth far more. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 21 months of cleanup.
What we did for A retiree drawing from three sources, Kelowna, British Columbia
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We recalculated the instalments on the current year’s expected income rather than the prior year’s, which stopped the instalment interest from growing, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result — A retiree drawing from three sources, Kelowna, British Columbia
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, Founder and Tax Accountant. 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.
