CRA Audit Readiness
Canada onlyAn audit is rarely lost on the numbers. It's lost on documentation, a legitimate expense with nothing behind it gets treated the same as one that was never legitimate. This is about being in a defensible position before there is any reason to be.
What's included
- Expense substantiation reviewed across the highest-risk categories
- Documentation gaps identified while the records can still be recovered
- Subcontractor versus employee classification exposure flagged
- Personal-use allocations reviewed for whether they're defensible
- A written summary of where you stand and what to fix first
- Records organized so a request can be answered in days rather than weeks
Who it's for
- Businesses with significant vehicle, travel, or meal expenses
- Companies using subcontractors where classification could be questioned
- Owners with a home office or personal-use assets sitting in the business
- Anyone who has had CRA correspondence and doesn't know how exposed they are
How it runs
The actual sequence, start to finish.
- 01
Start where CRA starts
Vehicle, travel, meals, home office, subcontractors, and the shareholder account. These are the areas that draw questions, so they're the areas we test.
- 02
Test the documentation
Sampled transactions are traced through to the record that supports them. Where there's nothing behind it, that itself is the finding.
- 03
Report plainly
A written summary of what's solid, what's thin, and what needs attention: ordered by exposure rather than by convenience.
- 04
Close the gaps
Fixes are worked in priority order, and anything that can't be reconstructed is documented as such rather than papered over.
What it costs
Quoted as a one-time review after looking at your books. Ongoing bookkeeping clients largely stay in this state as a by-product of the monthly work.
Questions about cra audit readiness
Will you represent me in an audit?
No. This is preparation and support, organizing records, identifying gaps, and answering questions about the bookkeeping itself. Formal representation, objections, and appeals belong with a CPA or a tax lawyer. We would rather refer you than take work we shouldn't.
I'm already under audit. Is it too late for this?
No, though the options narrow. Get in touch: the first thing to establish is what has actually been requested and what documentation exists to answer it.
Is CRA audit readiness available to US businesses?
No, CRA audit readiness is Canada only, alongside payroll filing, tax filing, GST/HST filing and GIFI mapping, because all five answer to a Canadian authority. The underlying discipline, which is to substantiate an expense at the time it happens rather than reconstruct it later, applies everywhere and is built into how we keep the books in both countries.
More questions answered on the FAQ page.
Often paired with
Bookkeeping
Monthly reconciliation, coded transactions, and financial statements, every month.
Receipt & Invoice Organizing
Receipts and invoices captured, matched and filed: so if CRA ever asks, you can answer.
Tax
Personal and corporate filing for Canadian businesses. Not currently offered to US clients.
Ready to talk about cra audit readiness?
A free 20-minute consultation, no obligation.