Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The only one of the accounting workshops in Canada we could confirm is free: the CRA’s Liaison Officer service. It gives owners of small businesses, self-employed people and rental landlords a visit by phone, online or in person, or a seminar for a group. For everything else we couldn’t verify any calendar or price, so this page shows you where to look and how to judge a session.
We assumed you mean training in bookkeeping, taxes and financial statements for owners and staff, not a course to become an accountant. If it’s the second, your provincial CPA body is the place to start.
What does the CRA offer for free?
A liaison officer will answer tax questions, explain the CRA’s online tools and talk through your books and records. They can also suggest how to tighten your bookkeeping. The CRA says what you discuss isn’t shared with other parts of the agency. You request a visit through the CRA’s Liaison Officer service page, or ask the CRA to run a seminar or webinar for an association you belong to.
That second option is easy to miss. If you sit on a chamber of commerce, a trade group or a landlords’ association, one request can get a whole room of people the same session.
Picture Lena, who rents out two basement suites in Edmonton and has never been sure what she can write off. A free visit by phone, with her rent ledger open on the kitchen table, costs her an hour and no cash at all.
Where to look for accounting workshops in Canada
Start with the bodies that have a reason to teach. The table lists them with what we could and couldn’t check.
| Source | What to look for | What we confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| CRA Liaison Officer service | Visit, seminar or webinar | Free, for small businesses, self-employed and rental income |
| Provincial CPA body | Member events, public sessions | Nothing on schedules or fees |
| Community colleges | Short bookkeeping or payroll courses | Nothing on schedules or fees |
| Chambers of commerce, trade groups | Member seminars | Nothing on schedules or fees |
| Small business centres in your province | Start-up and finance sessions | Nothing on schedules or fees |
Treat the last four rows as leads. Check each organizer’s own page for dates and cost before you plan around them.
How do you tell a useful session from a sales pitch?
Ask three plain questions before you register. Who is teaching, and what is their job? What will you have at the end (a filled template, a set-up account, a list of due dates)? And is the session free because someone is about to sell you software or services?
A session that names a form or a due date is usually worth your time. One that talks about “maximizing your savings” without a single form number probably isn’t. The CRA’s own pages are the check: if a speaker’s claim about a deduction or a filing rule doesn’t show up on canada.ca, be careful with it.
What should you bring, and what does a session save you?
Bring the records you’d hand an accountant. The CRA’s general rule is to keep records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, and a few (property purchases and sales, the share register) have no end date. If yours are in a shoebox, that’s the first thing a workshop will tell you to fix.
Numbers also make a session concrete. Say you pay four employees $2,200 each every two weeks in Ontario. The payroll remittance estimate gives $2,505.01 to send the CRA each pay period, on top of the $8,800 in gross pay. Bring a figure like that and ask if your own number matches. If you’re working alone, try the self-employed tax calculator the same way.
A ballpark figure is fine to start with. The point is to show up with something specific, so the instructor can say “yes, that’s the right idea” or “no, here’s what you’ve missed.”
Is a workshop better than hiring an accountant?
They do different jobs. A workshop teaches the rules in general, usually for free or a small fee, and gets you asking better questions. An accountant looks at your actual books and your situation. If your question is narrow or unusual, such as how GST/HST applies to one odd contract, a general session may not reach it. Use the workshop to learn the vocabulary, then take the specifics to someone who can see your file. We don’t run or recommend any accountant or course.
Mistakes people make with workshops
They sign up for a paid course before they’ve tried the free one. They go to a general session when their question is narrow. And they leave without writing down the next action, which is the whole point.
Another mistake is treating a workshop as advice on your own case. It teaches the rules. If your situation is unusual, an accountant who has your books in front of them is the right person, and a workshop gets you to that meeting with better questions. The business tax hub has the other employer and corporate tools.
Where this information comes from
The Liaison Officer details and the six-year record rule come from Canada Revenue Agency pages we read in September 2026. We didn’t find or verify any local workshop listings, prices or dates, so none appear here.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free accounting workshops in Canada?
The CRA's Liaison Officer service is free for small business owners, self-employed people and rental landlords. You can book a visit or ask for a seminar for your group.
How do I book a CRA liaison officer?
Use the Request a Liaison Officer service link on the CRA page. Visits can be in person, by phone or online through MS Teams.
What should I bring to a bookkeeping session?
Your bank statements, invoices, receipts and last year's return. The CRA's general rule is to keep records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to.
Can a workshop replace an accountant?
No. It teaches the rules in general. Your own filing questions need someone who can see your books.
How do I find workshops close to me?
Check your provincial CPA body, local colleges and chamber of commerce for event pages. We couldn't verify any schedule, so read the organizer's page for dates and cost.
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