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Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business in Canada
Learn how small-business bookkeeping works in Canada: records and the six-year rule, debits and credits, 5% GST in Alberta, bank reconciliation and basic financial statements. Five short lessons and a quiz, with a certificate of completion.
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The short version
Free, no payment details
Sign up with your name and e-mail and confirm it with a 6-digit code. There is nothing to buy.
About 60 minutes
5 short lessons and one final quiz. Your progress is saved, so you can stop and come back on any device.
Certificate of completion
Finish every lesson and score 70% or more on the final quiz. Retakes are unlimited.
Not a program
This free short course is not part of a Ucademy diploma or certificate program and gives no program credit.
What you will learn
- Explain the difference between bookkeeping and accounting and what the CRA expects in business records
- Apply the six-year record retention rule and set up a simple filing system
- Record transactions with debits and credits and check them with a trial balance
- Calculate and record 5% GST on sales and purchases, and explain input tax credits
- Reconcile a bank account and follow a month-end checklist
- Build a basic income statement and balance sheet and know when to ask an accountant
Who it is for
Adults who are starting out in office or administrative work, small-business owners who keep their own records, and anyone who wants to understand the basics of bookkeeping in Canada. No bookkeeping experience is needed.
What you need
- A computer or tablet with an internet connection
- A calculator or a spreadsheet program for the practice examples
- About 60 minutes in total, which you can split across several days
Lessons
- 1Bookkeeping and the records you must keep12 min
- 2Accounts, debits and credits12 min
- 3Sales, expenses and GST12 min
- 4Reconciliations, receivables and month-end12 min
- 5Financial statements and year-end12 min
- ✓Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business in Canada: final quizfinal quiz
Where this course can lead
Administrative Assistant Diploma
This course is a short, practical introduction. The full program goes much further: 806 hours online plus an 86-hour internship: Microsoft Office, business communication, bookkeeping basics and office procedures.
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See the course →Frequently asked questions
Yes. You create a free account, take the five lessons and the quiz, and pay nothing.
Yes. When you finish the lessons and pass the quiz you receive a certificate of completion from Ucademy. The course is not part of a diploma or certificate program.
About 60 minutes in total across five lessons. It is online and self-paced, so you can stop and continue later.
No. The lessons start from the basics and use small worked examples.
Yes. Lesson 3 explains the 5% GST, why Alberta has no provincial sales tax, and how to record GST collected and input tax credits.
No. It is a free short course, not part of a Ucademy diploma or certificate program, and it does not give program credit.
Start Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business in Canada today
Free, online and at your own pace, with a certificate of completion.