6 Hamilton 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 Hamilton and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
5 Years Filed, $125,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — IT Managed-Services Provider, Hamilton
Client: An IT managed-services provider · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed5
Assessed balance removed$125,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation
An IT managed-services provider in Hamilton, Ontario had not filed for 5 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We assessed and claimed Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit alongside the federal return, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $125,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $44,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Surveying Practice, Hamilton
Client: A surveying practice · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$44,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a surveying practice in Hamilton, Ontario — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown had never been reviewed.
What we did
We rebuilt the sales ledger by customer location, applied the correct place-of-supply rate to each stream, and filed the adjusted HST returns, 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
$44,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
An investment advisory firm in Hamilton, Ontario was carrying 13% HST charged on every sale regardless of where the customer was located, 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 recalculated the corporate tax at the 12.2% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $51,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 4 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $116,000 Freed — Digital Product Agency, Hamilton
Client: A digital product agency · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$116,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A digital product agency in Hamilton, Ontario was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and out-of-province sales billed at the ON rate instead of the customer’s already in the file.
What we did
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty 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. $116,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 5 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $99,000 Reversed — Packaging Producer, Hamilton
A packaging producer in Hamilton, Ontario had been reassessed for $99,000 and had 21 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and assessed and claimed Ontario Innovation Tax Credit alongside the federal return.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $99,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
Case Study 6 · CRA review defended
Audit Defence Closed In 3 Weeks, $112,000 Cleared — Boutique Law Firm, Hamilton
Client: A boutique law firm · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$112,000
Review duration3 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation
A boutique law firm in Hamilton, Ontario was selected for review after sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on its on tax and accounting file came to $112,000.
What we did
We assessed and claimed Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit alongside the federal return. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result
The review closed with no change. $112,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
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.
