6 Courtenay 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 Courtenay and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Cash and remittance control
$137,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Bar and Live-Music Venue, Courtenay
Client: A bar and live-music venue · Where: Courtenay, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$137,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation
A bar and live-music venue in Courtenay, British Columbia was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. Instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown explained most of the gap.
What we did
We separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns and built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$137,000 was released back into working capital. Remittances have been on time every period since, and the forecast shows the tax outflow before it lands.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 85 Staff With $117,000 Of Working Capital Freed — IT Managed-Services Provider, Courtenay
Client: An IT managed-services provider · Where: Courtenay, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Headcount reached85
Working capital freed$117,000
Missed deadlinesZero
The situation
An IT managed-services provider in Courtenay, British Columbia was growing fast — headcount to 85 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. Provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return was the first thing to break.
What we did
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 85 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $117,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $101,000 Across 7 Open Years — Dance Studio, Courtenay
Client: A dance studio · Where: Courtenay, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$101,000
Open years claimed7
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a dance studio in Courtenay, British Columbia started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 7 years, driven by BC Clean Buildings Tax Credit eligibility that had never been assessed.
What we did
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $101,000 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 4 · Backlog brought current
$60,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 7 Years — Two-Location Bistro, Courtenay
Client: A two-location bistro · Where: Courtenay, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$60,000
Years brought current7
Account statusCurrent
The situation
7 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a two-location bistro in Courtenay, British Columbia, with a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted underneath. Collections had already started.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return, then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
The result
All 7 years were accepted as filed. $60,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 7 years.
Case Study 5 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $129,000 Vacated — Short-Term Rental Operator, Courtenay
Client: A short-term rental operator · Where: Courtenay, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$129,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A short-term rental operator in Courtenay, British Columbia was carrying $129,000 of penalties and interest arising from sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $129,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $18,000 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Ghost-Kitchen Operator, Courtenay
Client: A ghost-kitchen operator · Where: Courtenay, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$18,000
Records rebuilt19 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A ghost-kitchen operator in Courtenay, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns, 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, $18,000 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
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.
