6 Architects 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 architects work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 57 Staff With $142,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Boutique Law Firm, Red Deer
Client: A boutique law firm · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Headcount reached57
Working capital freed$142,000
Missed deadlinesZero
The situation
A boutique law firm in Red Deer, Alberta was growing fast — headcount to 57 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. A chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about architects margin was the first thing to break.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 57 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $142,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 2 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $6,800 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Surveying Practice, Guelph
Client: A surveying practice · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$6,800
Records rebuilt19 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A surveying practice in Guelph, Ontario could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because a previous accountant with no experience of this sector sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a architects business actually earns and spends, then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $6,800 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Client: A translation services company · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$17,500
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A translation services company in Edmonton, Alberta was carrying industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged, and every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
What we did
Working with the client's lawyer, we aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $17,500, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 4 · Missed incentive claimed
$140,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Marketing Agency, Saskatoon
A marketing agency in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan had been filing for 7 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat development and improvement work written off as ordinary overhead.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed.
The result
$140,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $26,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Management Consultancy, Victoria
Client: A management consultancy · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$26,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a management consultancy in Victoria, British Columbia — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it had never been reviewed.
What we did
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, 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
$26,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 6 · Deadline rescue
9-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $129,000 — Two-Partner Engineering Practice, Lethbridge
Client: A two-partner engineering practice · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$129,000
Filed with8 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation
With the deadline for architects accounting and tax weeks away, a two-partner engineering practice in Lethbridge, Alberta was carrying equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule. The exposure if the date slipped was around $129,000.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 8 days to spare. $129,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
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.
