6 Nil Corporate Tax Return 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 nil corporate tax return work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Deadline rescue
$38,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Incorporated Trades Business, Vancouver
Client: An incorporated trades business · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$38,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
An incorporated trades business in Vancouver, British Columbia had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat retained earnings building in the operating company with no plan for extracting them, and a penalty of $38,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then mapped the association rules across the group, allocated the business limit deliberately on Schedule 23, and corrected the prior year by adjustment request.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $38,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $57,000 Refunded — Holding Company and Its, Victoria
Client: A holding company and its operating subsidiary · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$57,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a holding company and its operating subsidiary in Victoria, British Columbia were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat a small business limit quietly shared across three associated corporations nobody had mapped.
What we did
We modelled salary against dividends across both the corporation and the shareholder’s personal return, then set the remuneration mix for the year, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $57,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 3 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $150,000 Of Cash Released — Franchise Operator with Three, Surrey
Client: A franchise operator with three locations · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$150,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a franchise operator with three locations in Surrey, British Columbia was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat passive investment income that had crossed the $50,000 grind threshold unnoticed.
What we did
We rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$150,000 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 · Missed incentive claimed
$95,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Technology CCPC Approaching Its, Lethbridge
Client: A technology CCPC approaching its first profitable year · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$95,000
Years adjusted5
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A technology CCPC approaching its first profitable year in Lethbridge, Alberta had been filing for 5 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat passive investment income that had crossed the $50,000 grind threshold unnoticed.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then moved passive holdings into a separate structure so the operating company’s small business limit stopped grinding down.
The result
$95,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Backlog brought current
$109,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 5 Years — CCPC with Two Shareholders, Regina
Client: A CCPC with two shareholders · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$109,000
Years brought current5
Account statusCurrent
The situation
5 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a CCPC with two shareholders in Regina, Saskatchewan, with two corporations under common control filing as if each had its own $500,000 limit underneath. Collections had already started.
What we did
We mapped the association rules across the group, allocated the business limit deliberately on Schedule 23, and corrected the prior year by adjustment request, then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
The result
All 5 years were accepted as filed. $109,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 5 years.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $112,000 Vacated — Second-Generation Family Manufacturer, Ottawa
Client: A second-generation family manufacturer · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$112,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A second-generation family manufacturer in Ottawa, Ontario was carrying $112,000 of penalties and interest arising from retained earnings building in the operating company with no plan for extracting them, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We modelled salary against dividends across both the corporation and the shareholder’s personal return, then set the remuneration mix for the year and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $112,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
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.
