Learning how to account for tax means becoming well-informed about tax code and the filing requirements for your business or clients (if you’re working as a freelance tax consultant).
And while there are dozens of premium courses on platforms such as Udemy, some organizations offer great free tax accounting courses for both beginners and those with a bit of experience.
Find these free income tax online classes (some with certificates below).
Tax accounting courses online free – best courses to learn taxation matters
Here are the courses we recommend most if you want to learn taxation of business entities, sole-preneurs, and more without spending a coin:
Rethinking International Tax Law by Universiteit Leiden (delivered via Coursera)
This is one of the free online international tax courses for those with interest in international tax planning for multinationals and various ethical topics touching on tax planning.
The course also covers current developments surrounding tax planning, transfer pricing, and BEPS (base erosion and profit shifting).
The course has an average rating of 4.8 and has thousands enrolling every year.
Like other free Coursera courses, you get a Course completion Certificate at the end of the course.
How to enroll
Visit this link to enroll and start learning
U.S. Federal Taxation Specialization (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Coursera offers several free taxes courses online with this specialized course being ideal for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of how the U.S. federal tax system works.
You will be taught -through conceptual and applied materials- how to apply basic taxation principles to individuals, corporates, and other businesses.
You will also learn how to implement various tax-related strategies and their implications during business structuring transactions.
The course is part of the Applied Learning Project which involves multiple professional taxation courses covering a world of topics including preparation of final tax returns and applications of myriad tax principles in different real-world settings.
You’re again awarded a certificate upon completion.
Key skills you’ll gain
- Depreciation
- Federal tax returns
- Tax law
How to enroll
Visit this link to learn more and enroll for free.
We recommend that you enroll for the other 4 tax accounting courses in this project to gain more skills.
Here they are plus a shortcut link:
- Federal Taxation I- Taxing employees, individuals, and sole proprietors (link)
- Federal Taxation II- Taxing property transactions of business-owners and shareholders (link)
- Taxation of Business Entities I- Taxing corporations (link)
- Taxation of Business Entities II- Taxing pass-through entities (link)
- S. Federal Taxation Capstone (link)
Introduction to Personal and Corporate Taxes (by Khan Academy via Alison)
This free online tax accounting course will train you on varying on personal as well as corporate taxation with a bias on the U.S. taxation system.
You not only learn how to compute tax rates on personal incomes but you’ll also understand the differences between tax credits and tax deductions.
In addition, you will understand estate tax, taxation of limited liability corporations, partnerships, and more by the time you complete the syllabus.
You have the option to apply for an official certificate upon scoring 80% (or higher) in the assessment (a small fee may be charged).
It’s worth mentioning that it’s a short course and it can take even 2 hours to complete.
How to enroll
Click here to get started or here for more details.
Introduction to Investment and Taxation (by Khan Academy via Alison)
This free course will introduce you to the core tax principles affecting investment decisions and the taxes investors are subject to.
The other areas of study are taxing treasury bonds, mortgage loans, and how to calculate tax on valuation of assets.
You will be well on your way to becoming an expert on personal finances (and possibly a brilliant career as an investment/taxation advisor) by the time you’re completing this course.
How to enroll
Click here to sign up for free or here for more information.
Tax accounting courses online free By Udemy
Although most people associate it with paid courses, Udemy offers a couple of in-depth taxation courses for free.
Find them below and make your choice:
1. Certified Public Accountant Tax Preparation Tutorial (CPA Tax Prep)
This course teaches you taxation principles and rules that you should apply when preparing tax filings and the entire process and can be beneficial to anyone looking to break into CPA firms or secure a better-paying accounting job.
CPA Tax Prep also helps business owners looking for skills to understand complex taxation topics.
The course is taught by John Gillingham CPA, owner of Accounting Play, a firm that uses apps and online courses for corporate income tax training, general taxation training, and accounting/bookkeeping lessons.
Note that you should have Microsoft Excel software to take this course as some illustrations are run using Excel formulas.
The materials are downloadable.
How to enroll
Enroll here.
2. How to file income tax returns online
This teaches you how to file your personal income tax in just 30 minutes.
How to get more information
Explore it here.
3. Income Tax for Beginners – House Property Income
Here you learn the tax procedures you should use to calculate tax on house property income.
How to get more information
Check it out here.
Tax accounting courses online free – frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Which is the best tax accounting course?
Well, it depends on your needs.
For U.S. residents, we recommend the U.S. federal taxation specialization courses by the University of Illinois because of their extensive coverage.
That said, anyone looking for basics may find the Introduction to Investment and Taxation (by Khan Academy via Alison) useful.
It’s really a question of your needs and finding your best fit course (you may need to look at indirect tax courses if you want to get a better grasp of indirect taxation).
Tax accounting courses online free- final words
Overall, the three best course-places to look for a free online taxation course are:
- Coursera
- Alison (Khan academy programs)
Read each course’s description and pick what best suits your needs.
Of course, it makes sense to go for a program with a certificate if you want to use your new tax accounting skills to search for a better paying job.
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