9 Best Online Bookkeeping Courses for Canadians in 2026

Want to begin a career in bookkeeping and get the technical know-how required to be successful in the field? The best online bookkeeping courses available in Canada are listed below.

Bookkeeping Basics – Coursera

This introductory course offered by Intuit Academy Team on Coursera is the first in a series of four that will give you the skills needed to start your career in bookkeeping. If you have a passion for helping clients solve problems, this course is for you. In this course, you will be introduced to the role of a bookkeeper and learn what bookkeeping professionals do every day. By the end of this course, you will be able to: -Define accounting and the concepts of accounting measurement -Explain the role of a bookkeeper and common bookkeeping tasks and responsibilities -Summarize the double entry accounting method -Explain the ethical and social responsibilities of bookkeepers in ensuring the integrity of financial information. Here’s what you’ll learn in this course:

• Accounting Concepts and Measurement: The role of a bookkeeper, accounting equation, double-entry accounting, account types, debits and credits, and ethical responsibilities.
• The Accounting Cycle (Part 1): The accounting cycle, using general journal and ledger, chart of accounts, transaction recording, and preparing unadjusted trial balances.
• The Accounting Cycle (Part 2): Recording transactions with accounting software like QuickBooks Online, adjusting entries, trial balances, and producing financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, statement of equity, cash flow statement).
• Accounting Principles and Practices: Key accounting assumptions (periodicity, revenue recognition, matching), accounting methods (cash-basis, accrual, hybrid), and their application in QuickBooks Online.

Your foundation in bookkeeping will be stronger once you’ve finished the course. You will comprehend the basics of accounting and the entire procedure for recording transactions and preparing financial statements. While not Canada-specific, the principles align well with CRA requirements and QuickBooks Canada’s features for GST/HST and payroll. This 13-hour duration course has four modules with videos, readings, assignments, and discussion prompts. Students find the course well-structured, interactive, and effective for simplifying finance concepts, with 91% reporting they liked it. Discover the course at this link.

Online Bookkeeping Course – ICS Canada

In as short as six months, you can learn bookkeeping online with the help of ICS Canada’s program.

You’ll learn various topics in online bookkeeping training, from assets and liabilities to revenue and expenses. You’ll get to work on a sole proprietorship-related final bookkeeping project.

The online training courses for ICS Canada Bookkeeper will include subjects important to the industry, such as

• Fundamentals of the general ledger and journal
• Owner equity, assets, and liabilities
• Trial balance, receipts, and outgoings

With the online bookkeeping courses, ICS Canada offers, you can learn at a pace that works for you. The Canadian Bookkeepers Association has approved the Bookkeeping Career Diploma from ICS Canada as a Canadian bookkeeping course. Check out the course here.

Bookkeeping for Canadians – Udemy

All the ideas you will need to master to complete all the fundamental bookkeeping activities and cycles for a small business will be covered in this course. 

They’ll go over the various bookkeeping concepts:

• What is accounting? They will discuss what bookkeeping is and how it operates.
• Accountants and Bookkeepers: what makes them different from one another
• Responsibilities and roles. What is your responsibility as a bookkeeper, and what duties are involved?
•  Understand the various business models available.
• Counting intervals. The calendar year, fiscal year, and interim period will be covered.
• The Double-Entry Accounting System and Accounting Equation
• Chart of Accounts and Account Types
• Accounting Techniques the accrual basis and the cash basis of accounting 
• General ledger
• Subsidiary Ledgers
•  Accounting Journals
• Trial Balance
• The financial statements
• The Accounting Cycle
• How to organize files and keep records of them
• In the final part, you will receive a simple example of a bookkeeping checklist—procedures on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.

This 2-hour duration course has eight sections with 19 lectures. Students find the course comprehensive and easy to understand. Discover the course at this link.

All-Inclusive Bookkeeping Course – Simply Training

You will learn all the skills necessary to effectively record business transactions in their Basic Bookkeeping course, from fundamentals of accounting through business administration. More importantly, this training offers crucial knowledge that is simple to implement in practical settings.

Therefore, their thorough certificate program equips you with all the bookkeeping and accounting foundations required to support you in managing all significant financial concerns.

The Basic Online Bookkeeping Course will teach you how to handle financial concerns through simple-to-follow video training sessions and online modules.

Courses For Success ensure you receive the most recent training by carefully crafting the courses with input from top professionals and validation from subject matter experts.

Learners find this course enjoyable and simple. They were able to grasp the concepts easily, and they were not bored with the subject. Find the course details right here.

A Complete Bookkeeping and Accountancy Course

With its comprehensive Book-keeping & Accounting course, you may learn basic and advanced accounting rules.

This introductory accounting course comprises explicit, logical explanation videos, problem-solving exercises, and entertaining quiz films that will test your understanding of the material.

Additionally, it offers PDF assessment tools that come with a topical summary, sample questions, and solutions.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this course:

• Complete knowledge of Accounting
• Financial Bookkeeping & Accounting
• Fundamentals of Accounting
• The process of preparing the financial statement of a sole proprietor
• Accounting for a partnership firm
• Accounting for a non-profit organization
• Accounting from incomplete records
• Accounting of bill of exchange
• Company accounting
• Consignment Accounting
• Department Accounting
• Manufacturing accounting

Your foundation in accounting will be stronger once you’ve finished the course. You will comprehend the basics of accounting and the entire procedure a sole proprietor would use to keep his accounting records. You will also understand the accounting of various commercial organizations.

Learners of this course said that the topics were very insightful and easy to understand. Explore the course by clicking here.

Accounting & Bookkeeping Masterclass – Beginner to Advanced

The course begins at the very start and covers the idea of accounting, basic accounting terminologies, and the accounting system for recording business transactions.

The next step introduces you to more advanced accounting topics like prepaid and accrued transactions, transactions subject to sales tax and discounts, and accounting adjustments like depreciation.

Here are the topics to be discussed:

• Introduction to Accounting
• Accounting standards
• Different types of Accounting
• Accounting Terminologies
• Cash and Accrual Accounting
• Double-entry concept
• Bookkeeping
• General Ledger
• Trial Balance and Financial Statements
• Fixed Assets and Depreciation
• Inventory Accounting
• Financial Statements preparation
• Accounting for leases

The course structure is straightforward, the format is an engaging, interactive video that is wonderfully created, and the course progresses from the basics of accounting through the creation of financial statements before moving on to the more complex and often used aspects of accounting.

Additionally, this course covers several valuable practical ideas that come in handy while keeping your books in accounting software. Students find the course practical and relevant. Get started with the course by following this link.

QuickBooks Online 2025 Full Course Bookkeeping Accounting

This course is based on practical situations. Together, you will go through all of the instances in detail.

Since you probably wouldn’t be manually inputting transactions one by one in your business, you will also be learning how to leverage the functionality for data import and integration. Less theory and more applications.

The ultimate goal is to give you the confidence and comfort to wholly utilize QuickBooks Online in your business or for other companies.

After completing this course, you will be completely prepared to use QuickBooks Online to solve any business problem!

This 6.5-hour course covers 12 sections with 53 lectures. Here’s what you will learn:

• Create a QuickBooks Online file from scratch.
• Create the products, clients, and vendors
• Make users, then give them permissions
• Establish and assess the impact on the chart of accounts
• Create receipts for purchases, purchase orders, expenses, credits, and discounted and recurring invoices.
• Connect to the bank or import data with a CSV file import.
• Automate and classify your transactions.
• Essential timekeeping and approval procedures for employees
• Create projects and assess the profitability
• Create customized reports
• Construct management reports
• Scheduled information emailing and report export to Excel
• Create your own fields, then alter the templates for your invoices.
• Import data through excel and CSV file formats
• Connect to your Shopify store.

Most students find the course informative. They were able to learn the topics easily. Access the course materials here.

Professional Bookkeeper Short Certificate – Langara College

Designed for beginners or working bookkeepers needing certification, this 6–12 month online program (async/sync via Brightspace/Zoom) covers payroll, receivables/payables, and inventory using Canadian standards. Modules emphasize CPB alignment and practical skills for CRA compliance, including 2025 e-filing updates. Graduates earn a Short Certificate, fast-tracking to CPB apprentice level with access to networking and continuing education. Students praise the program’s flexibility and real-world focus, noting it builds confidence for entry-level roles. Enroll for the January 2026 semester here.

Bookkeeping Certificate – Capilano University

This 8-month online program (15 credits) strengthens skills in business computing, accounting apps, and writing/editing, with an elective in entrepreneurship or financial accounting. Updated for 2026 sustainability reporting and digital tools, it prepares you for CIB certification or CPB Technician exam. Ideal for career changers or small business managers, with strong reviews for its practical, uninterrupted online format. Learn more and apply via EducationPlannerBC here.

Free or Almost-Free Starting Options (2025–2026)

• Intuit Bookkeeping Professional Certificate (Coursera) – The full 4-course specialization that includes the “Bookkeeping Basics” above is free to audit and takes ~4 months at 5 hrs/week. Completing it earns you the Intuit-verified Bookkeeping Professional Certificate (highly regarded by Canadian employers).
• QuickBooks Online Certification – Free training + exam through Intuit Canada (quickbooks.intuit.com/ca/certification). Many bookkeeping jobs now list “QuickBooks Certified” as a requirement.
• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Learning Portal – Free short modules on GST/HST, payroll remittances, T4/T5 filing, and electronic record-keeping requirements (canada.ca → Services → Learning).

Certification Pathways That Actually Matter in Canada (2026)

Average 2026 Salaries in Canada (Job Bank Canada + CPB Canada data, Nov 2025)

• Entry-level Bookkeeper (0–2 yrs): $44,000 – $54,000
• Full-charge Bookkeeper (CPB + 3–5 yrs): $58,000 – $72,000
• Remote / Freelance rate: $30 – $55 per hour Highest demand provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta (remote work accepted everywhere).

Must-Have Software Skills in 2026 Canadian Job Ads

1. QuickBooks Online (85 % of postings)
2. Sage 50 Accounting (Canadian version)
3. Xero
4. Excel/Google Sheets (intermediate to advanced – pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP)
5. Dext, Hubdoc, or Plooto (receipt capture & bill pay automation)

Quick 2026 Checklist Before You Enroll

• Decide your goal: Quick employable skills → Coursera/ICS + QuickBooks cert Full professional designation → Langara/Capilano + CPB path
• Check if your province offers training grants (e.g., Canada–Ontario Job Grant, BC Employer Training Grant, Alberta Canada Job Grant – up to $10,000 reimbursement for approved programs).
• Join the free CPB Canada student membership ($75 value) as soon as you start studying – gives you job board access and mentorship.

Conclusion

Bookkeeping may be a thorough and challenging training for Canadians. However, the programs mentioned above made it simpler for students to comprehend the subject matter better.

Our top pick would be ICS Canada’s Online Bookkeeping Course. The topics were all very helpful for Canadian bookkeepers (and future bookkeepers).

Now that online classes have become commonplace, anyone can learn. Enrolling in one of the above courses will allow you to start learning about bookkeeping.