Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The best free accounting webinars for a Canadian business come from the CRA itself. Its business video gallery holds recorded webinars on payroll, GST/HST, records and audits, and the newest one we saw was dated May 2026.
Live sessions are a different story. We couldn’t find a public schedule of upcoming dates, so anything you read about a fixed calendar is worth checking against the CRA page before you plan around it.
Where do free accounting webinars for Canadian businesses come from?
Three places cover most of what a small business needs. The CRA gallery is the first, and it’s organised by date, newest first, with a short description under each title. Topics run from payroll deductions and GST/HST registration to employee or self-employed status, record keeping and what an audit looks like.
The second is the CRA’s Liaison Officer service. It’s free, and it’s meant for small business owners, self-employed people and anyone with rental income. You can ask for a personal visit (in person, by phone or on Microsoft Teams), or you can ask for a seminar or webinar for a group you belong to, such as a trade association or a board of trade. The CRA says a visit is confidential and what you discuss isn’t passed to other areas of the agency.
The third is the CRA’s small business resources page, which also lists a newsletter for businesses and links to its online payroll and GST/HST calculators.
What does each source give you?
| Source | Format | What we confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| CRA business video gallery | Recorded webinars and videos | Newest item May 2026, oldest 2011 |
| Liaison Officer service | Visit, seminar or webinar on request | Free, for small business, self-employed and rental owners |
| CRA business newsletter | Email updates | Listed on the small business resources page |
| Software firms and accounting bodies | Their own live and recorded sessions | Nothing. We didn’t verify topics, dates or fees |
Should you pay for a webinar?
Often not. Private sessions from software companies, banks and accounting firms exist, and some are good. But we can’t tell you which ones, what they cost or whether they’re any better than the CRA’s own, so we’re not going to rank them.
What you can do is test any session before you give it an hour. Is the date recent? Webinars from 2019 describe rules that may have moved. Does the presenter name the source for each rule, such as a CRA page or a section of the Income Tax Act? And is it teaching, or is the last 20 minutes a sales pitch? If you can’t find the same rule on canada.ca afterwards, don’t act on it.
A worked example of checking a webinar claim
Say a presenter tells you that you can throw out business receipts after three years. That sounds plausible and it saves a filing cabinet. So check it. The CRA says you generally keep records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, and you need its permission to destroy them sooner.
For a December 31, 2025 year end, six years from the end of the tax year means you hold those records until the end of 2031. Three years would have you shredding in 2028, which is well short. One quick check, and the webinar’s advice fails. That’s the habit worth building.
What should you watch for first?
Start with whatever can cost you money if you get it wrong. If you pay staff, watch the payroll items first, then run your own numbers through the payroll remittance calculator. If you sell taxable goods or services, the GST/HST videos come next, and the GST/HST calculator lets you test what you learn. Self-employed? Look for the instalment material and try the tax instalment calculator.
A common mistake is collecting webinars and never applying one. Pick a single topic, watch it, then change one thing in your books that week.
Where the numbers come from
The facts here come from the Canada Revenue Agency: its business video gallery, the Liaison Officer service page, the small business resources page and its page on keeping records. We read them in September 2026. This site has no link with the CRA. We couldn’t confirm any third party’s webinar dates or fees, and the CRA doesn’t publish a calendar of live 2026 sessions that we could find.
Frequently asked questions
Does the CRA run webinars for small business?
Yes. Its business video gallery holds recorded webinars and videos on payroll, GST/HST, records and audits. The Liaison Officer service can also arrange a webinar for a group.
Are the CRA sessions free?
The Liaison Officer service is described as free. The gallery videos are on a public page.
Can I get a live session for my own association?
You can ask for one. The CRA takes requests for in-person seminars and online webinars for groups through its request form.
How do I know a webinar is current?
Check the date, then confirm every rule on a canada.ca page. Anything you can't find there, leave alone.
Which private webinar is best?
We couldn't verify any provider's content, dates or fees, so we don't rank them.
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Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.