Case Studies
Client outcomes
The work behind the numbers
Construction
$70,000 HST Refund — Denied, Then Recovered
Situation. A construction company had its entire HST refund — nearly $70,000 — denied by the CRA. The money was critical to the cash flow of the owner’s new business, and it landed right around the holidays. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
Task. Overturn the denial and get the full refund released — fast.
Action. We reviewed the file, then worked directly with the CRA — presenting the facts clearly, showing the business logic behind the numbers, and resolving each question through a focused back-and-forth.
Result. The refund was approved and released — a nearly $70,000 swing at exactly the moment the business needed the cash. A big win.
↳ ~$70,000 refund recovered
New-Home Buyer
$33,000 HST Rebate Clawback — Overturned
Situation. A client bought a new home and assigned the GST/HST New Housing Rebate to the builder, filed on the basis that it would be their primary residence. That was the genuine intent — but circumstances changed and the home ended up being rented out. Two years later, the CRA reviewed the file, found the primary-residence condition wasn’t met, and issued a bill for nearly $33,000 to repay the rebate, plus interest and penalties. The client tried to resolve it with the CRA directly, got nowhere, and watched the interest climb.
Task. Stop the clawback and clear the assessment.
Action. They brought it to Pro Business Tax. We reviewed the full history, built the case around the facts and the client’s original intent, and submitted it to the CRA with the right supporting proof — then handled the back-and-forth.
Result. A win. The client was relieved of the ~$33,000 repayment, along with the penalties and interest that came with it.
↳ ~$33,000 assessment cleared
IT Consultant
$30,000 More — Same Income, Smarter Structure
Situation. A high-income IT consultant had just lost their job and was weighing two paths: take another well-paid salaried role, or start a consulting business expected to earn a similar income. They wanted to know the real after-tax difference — plus the impact on RRSP room, benefits, and more.
Task. Model both scenarios on their actual numbers and recommend the most tax-efficient path for their needs.
Action. We ran a full analysis of their specific situation and financial needs — comparing take-home pay, RRSP and benefit implications, and the structure of each option side by side.
Result. We recommended the path that fit their goals and was far more tax-efficient — putting nearly $30,000 more net income in their pocket on essentially the same gross income.
↳ ~$30,000 gained through smart tax planning
Cross-Border Physician
5 Years of Cross-Border Returns — Filed in 4 Weeks, No Audit
Situation. A physician practicing in both Canada and the U.S. faced complex cross-border tax issues and was nearly five years behind on filing. She and her previous advisor couldn’t find a filing approach that wouldn’t invite a CRA audit or penalties — so nothing got filed. Her U.S. taxes were stuck too, waiting on the Canadian side.
Task. Find a defensible filing approach, get five years of returns filed, and avoid triggering CRA scrutiny.
Action. We did tax research specific to her cross-border scenario, secured alignment with the CRA before filing, then prepared and filed all outstanding returns.
Result. All five years filed within four weeks — assessed with no audit and no penalties. That cleared the way for her to finally file her U.S. taxes, which had been on hold until the Canadian returns were assessed. A big relief.
↳ 5 years filed in 4 weeks — no audit, no penalties
Diagnostic Clinic
4 Years Behind → CRA-Ready in 4 Weeks
Situation. A GTA diagnostic clinic came to us nearly four years behind on bookkeeping and corporate filings. Two previous providers had started and stalled, and the owner was worried about mounting CRA exposure and couldn’t produce financials for their bank.
Task. Reconstruct four years of books across multiple accounts, bring HST and T2 filings current, and deliver a clean, tax-ready set of financials — fast, without disrupting the clinic day-to-day.
Action. We built a structured catch-up plan and put a CPA-led team on it: reconciled every bank and credit-card account, rebuilt the chart of accounts, sorted out HST and payroll, and reviewed the full file for tax-readiness.
Result. Four years of clean books and filings — completed in four weeks. The clinic now runs on monthly cloud bookkeeping, is fully CRA-compliant, and finally has real-time numbers to run the practice.
↳ 4 years reconciled in 4 weeks
Incorporated Business Owner
Investing $250,000 the Smart Way — ~$90,000 Tax Hit Avoided
Situation. A client wanted to invest $250,000 sitting inside their operating company. Pulling it out personally first would have triggered an estimated $90,000 personal tax bill that year.
Task. Get the capital invested while keeping as much of it working as possible — and stay fully CRA-compliant.
Action. We set up a holding-company structure with proper documentation, moving the surplus into the Holdco so it could be invested without first being taxed in the owner’s hands.
Result. The immediate personal tax was avoided, leaving far more capital available to invest — and the structure keeps protecting and deferring going forward. (Illustrative; outcomes vary by situation.)