6 Trial Balance Preparation and Review 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 trial balance preparation and review work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 5 Weeks To 9 Days — Independent Pharmacy, Saskatoon
The accounting file at an independent pharmacy in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was built on year-end statements that arrived four months late and never tied to the bank. The year-end had taken 5 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We rebuilt the trial balance from source documents, reconciled every bank and credit-card account, and issued a CSRS 4200 compilation with a proper basis-of-accounting note 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 9 days instead of 5 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $56,000 Refunded — Regional Courier Operator, Toronto
Remittances at a regional courier operator in Toronto, Ontario were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat a bank that refused to renew an operating line without compliant statements.
What we did
We set a monthly close calendar with a fixed cut-off, so the year-end became a review of work already done rather than a twelve-month rebuild, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $56,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 3 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $62,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Commercial Cleaning Contractor, Regina
Nothing was wrong at a commercial cleaning contractor in Regina, Saskatchewan — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Two sets of numbers — one in the accounting file, one the owner actually ran the business on had never been reviewed.
What we did
We separated personal and corporate spending, cleared the shareholder loan through a documented salary and dividend mix, and restated the comparative year, and ran the numbers across both the corporate and personal returns so the saving was real rather than deferred into someone else's hands.
The result
$62,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 4 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $29,500 Freed — 14-Person Design Agency, Edmonton
Client: A 14-person design agency · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$29,500
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A 14-person design agency in Edmonton, Alberta was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and a shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries already in the file.
What we did
We reconciled the inter-company accounts, papered the arrangement with a written agreement, and aligned both corporations’ year-ends 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. $29,500 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 5 · CRA review defended
$54,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Two-Partner Engineering Firm, Windsor
A two-partner engineering firm in Windsor, Ontario received a proposal letter opening a review of trial balance preparation and review. The CRA had identified inter-company balances between two related corporations that had never been reconciled and proposed an adjustment of $54,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We rebuilt the trial balance from source documents, reconciled every bank and credit-card account, and issued a CSRS 4200 compilation with a proper basis-of-accounting note, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $54,000 of it. The file closed in 7 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
$70,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Specialty Food Importer, Surrey
Client: A specialty food importer · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$70,000
Years adjusted6
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A specialty food importer in Surrey, British Columbia had been filing for 6 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat inter-company balances between two related corporations that had never been reconciled.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then set a monthly close calendar with a fixed cut-off, so the year-end became a review of work already done rather than a twelve-month rebuild.
The result
$70,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without 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.
