Diploma Course · Accounting & Xero

Become An Accounting Technician.

If you are already doing the books and want to go further, this diploma was built for that. Management accounting, New Zealand tax, financial reporting, and Xero from the basics through to the advanced end.

From $29per week, flexible plan
~300 hoursof study at your own pace
12 monthsof course access
No examsever
Anytimestart today, fully online
At a Glance

Course Snapshot

Study AreaBusiness & Management
Course TypeDiploma
Study Time~300 hours
Access12 months
Study ModeFully online, study whenever suits you
AssessmentNo exams, ever
PaymentsFrom $29 a week
Comes with
  • 10-day money back guarantee
  • No deposit, no credit check
  • Unlimited tutor support
  • Start anytime, study at your own pace
Who It’s For

Why Do This Course

Go Past The Bookkeeping

If you already keep the books, this is the next rung. Costing, budgets, variance work and reporting. You get to say what the numbers mean, not just write them down.

Take The Technician Path

The AAT Certified Accounting Technician program is built into this diploma. Finish it and you join the Institute of Public Accountants too.

Give It A Year

This one is big, and the access matches. Twelve months, self paced, no exams, ever, with unlimited tutor support in business hours when a topic bites.

Where The Skills Fit

Where These Skills Could Take You

Somebody has to turn the entries into an answer the business can use. The work is easy to picture: closing the month, building the budget, costing a job, sorting the GST and the company tax. Then saying what it all means to someone who does not read accounts.

Senior Bookkeeper

The full set of books for a business, closed and reported on your own.

Management Accountant Assistant

Costing, budgets and variance work, feeding the decisions above you.

Practice Support Accountant

Inside an accounting practice, doing the client work behind the partner.

Accounts Systems Coordinator

Keeping the file and the chart of accounts set up so the reporting holds.

Xero Trainer

Showing other people how to drive it, once you know the advanced end.

Roles where these skills are useful, not promised outcomes. Every role is different, and some need more study or experience. Analyst and compliance titles want years of practice behind them. Chartered and certified practising routes are separate paths again.

The Course

What You'll Learn

01
Accounting And Financial Reporting
The core work, and the reports it turns into.
Accounting & Business Prior Knowledge Quiz
Using Microsoft Excel
Accounting and Business
Determining Profit
Issues in Income Determination & Asset Valuation
Tracking Cash & Controlling Assets
Internal Decision Making
Analysing Financial Reports
NZ Financial Reporting Framework
SPFR Framework For For-Profit Entities Part 1
SPFR Framework For For-Profit Entities Part 2
SPFR Framework For For-Profit Entities Part 3
Verification, Completeness & Justification
Accounting for a Full Year Case Study
Looking Forward Case Study
02
Costing, Budgets And New Zealand Tax
What things cost, what you plan, and what is owed.
Cost Classification
Costing Methods
Product & Process Costing
Standard Costs & Variance Analysis
Activity Based Costing
Budgeting & CVP Analysis
Performance Management & Measurement
Inventory Management & Planning
Tax Fundamentals: Introduction
Tax Fundamentals: Income & Deductions
Tax Fundamentals: Tax Calculation & Return Preparation
GST
Company Taxation
Look Through Companies
Fringe Benefit Tax
03
Xero, Basics To Advanced
Two full certificates in the software, one after the other.
Introduction to Xero Online
Xero Chart of Accounts
Managing Contacts with Xero
Xero Sales, Invoices, Quotes & Inventory
Xero Purchases & Bills
Reconciliation and Managing Accounts in Xero
Introduction to Xero Reporting
Introduction to Xero Add-ons
Aged Receivables & Payables in Xero
Managing Fixed Assets with Xero
Budgeting with Xero
Tracking Categories in Xero
Report Preparation and Analysis in Xero
Customising Templates in Xero
Introduction to Projects & Expenses
04
AAT Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Program
The trade itself, and how you work inside it.
Introduction to the Accounting Profession
Ethics and Standards
Professional Education
Practice Essentials
Practice Security
People and Processes
Growing your Business
Digital Business
Sustaining Your Business
Assessment
Included

What You’ll Get

In the Course

  • Accounting and reporting, profit, assets, reports and frameworks
  • Costing and budgets, what things cost and what you plan
  • New Zealand tax, GST, company tax, FBT and returns
  • Xero at two levels, certificate and advanced certificate

As a Student

  • Unlimited tutor support, phone and email in business hours
  • 12 months of access, study at your own pace
  • No exams, ever, assessed on understanding instead
  • Career centre access, CV, LinkedIn and interview help
Why This One

What Makes It Different

Here is what stands out in this course.

01
New Zealand Tax In Depth

GST, company tax, look through companies and fringe benefit tax. It goes right through to preparing a return, and it is written for here.

02
Xero At Two Levels

The certificate and the advanced certificate. Fixed assets, budgets, tracking categories, report preparation and projects, not just invoicing.

03
Ethics And Practice, Not Just Numbers

The technician program covers the trade itself. Standards, practice security, people and processes. It is the part a data entry job never teaches you.

The Credentials

What You'll Earn

DIPLOMA COURSE

Diploma in Accounting with Xero

Certificate of Achievement · The Career Academy

A Certificate of Achievement

Awarded by the college when you finish the diploma.

The Technician Program And IPA

Finish the AAT program and you become a Certified Accounting Technician and a member of the Institute of Public Accountants.

A SEEK Pass Link To Share

Your certificate comes with a SEEK Pass link. Put it on SEEK, where employers look.

Getting Started

How It Works

Step one

Ask About the Course

Send an enquiry and a course advisor gets back to you with the course guide and straight answers on whether it fits.

Step two

Enrol When You're Ready

Start anytime. Pay on a flexible weekly plan, or pay upfront in one payment.

Step three

Study At Your Own Pace

Work through the four courses online at your own pace, with unlimited tutor support by phone and email in business hours.

Step four

Finish With Your Certificate

Complete the diploma and receive your Certificate of Achievement, plus a SEEK Pass link you can share on SEEK.

The Investment

How to Get Started

$29 / week
Flexible weekly payment plan, or pay upfront in one payment.
Pay weekly on a flexible plan
10-day money back guarantee
Start anytime, fully online
Unlimited tutor support
Enquire Now
Good to Know

Common Questions

Do I need experience to start?

It helps, but it is not required. The diploma opens with a prior knowledge quiz, then accounting from the ground up. People who already keep books move faster through the early topics.

What does it cost each week?

The payment plan is $29 a week, with no deposit and no credit check. You can pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly, or pay upfront in one payment. Enquire for the full options.

How long does the diploma take?

Around 300 hours at your own pace, with 12 months of access. It is the longest of the accounting courses here, so plan for a year.

What is the AAT part of it?

It is the Certified Accounting Technician program, built into the diploma. It covers the trade itself: ethics and standards, practice essentials, security, and how an accounting business is run. Finish it and you are a Certified Accounting Technician and a member of the Institute of Public Accountants.

How much Xero is in it?

Two full certificates. The first covers setup, invoicing, bills and reconciliation. The advanced one goes on to fixed assets, budgets, tracking categories, report preparation and projects.

What if I get busy after I enrol?

The course is online and self paced. There are no fixed class times. You fit it around work and family, then pick it back up when things settle down.

Are there exams?

There are none, ever. You are assessed on what you understand, with tutor support behind you.

Is this course accredited?

It is accredited by ICOES and the CPD Standards Office, which is accreditation for professional development. It is not NZQA accredited, so it is not a national qualification. That is a different thing. For accounting work it is no barrier: employers hire on whether you can close a month and stand behind the numbers.

Can I get my money back if it is not for me?

Yes. There is a 10-day money back guarantee. If it is not right, you get your money back.

Delivered By

About the College

This course is delivered by The Career Academy, an online course provider in New Zealand.

The college has been running for over 15 years and works with more than 25,000 students a year. Courses are online and self paced, with unlimited tutor support by phone and email in business hours. Career coaching opens as soon as you enrol, including CV help and a LinkedIn profile review.

Over 15 years runningUnlimited tutor supportNo exams, everCareer coaching included
One Step Left

Enquire Today

Picture the year end you take on yourself, the reports built and the tax worked out, and nobody in the office checking behind you.

Enquire Now