May 9, 2026
Audits do not begin with the return. They begin with whether the books can explain the return. Bank recs, payroll registers, and ITC support are the working papers. If they are rebuilt after the letter arrives, the story is already late.
Keep the close monthly. Align HST to the same trial balance the T2 will use. When a request comes, you are assembling exhibits, not inventing a history.