Our Xero training sessions are live, one-on-one, and run by Xero-certified accountants. Not pre-recorded videos. Not a classroom with thirty other people. You get a session built around your business, your Xero account, and the specific things you need to know.
Does Xero have free training?
Yes. Xero Central (learning.central.xero.com) has free Xero training modules that cover the basics: setting up your Xero organisation, connecting bank accounts, creating invoices, reconciling transactions, and running reports. The modules are self-paced and available to anyone with a Xero UK account.
Xero also offers free Xero certification through its advisor program. If you’re an accountant or bookkeeper, you can complete the Xero Advisor Certification to prove you know the Xero software. It takes about 6-8 hours and covers Xero accounting fundamentals, payroll, and Xero Tax.
The free training is fine for basics. But if you want to learn Xero properly – how to set up your chart of accounts for your specific industry, how to handle complex VAT scenarios, or how to use Xero’s reporting to actually run your business – you need guided training from someone who understands accounting, not just the software.
Can I learn Xero by myself?
You can learn the basics of Xero yourself using the free training modules on Xero Central. Many business owners do. But there’s a difference between knowing how to click buttons in Xero and knowing how to use Xero as proper accounting software.
Common problems we see from self-taught Xero users:
- Bank accounts connected but never properly reconciled – hundreds of unmatched transactions
- Invoices raised but VAT rates wrong or missing
- Everything coded to the wrong accounts because the chart of accounts was never set up properly
- Payroll entered manually as journal entries instead of using Xero Payroll
- No tracking categories, so they can’t see profit by project, department, or location
Our Xero training course fixes these problems. We work with your actual Xero data – not a demo account – so you learn by doing, not watching.
Is Xero difficult to learn?
Xero is one of the easier accounting software platforms to learn. The interface is cleaner than Sage or QuickBooks, and most everyday tasks (invoicing, bank reconciliation, expense claims) are straightforward once someone shows you how.
The tricky parts are the bits that require accounting knowledge, not just software knowledge: setting up your chart of accounts, understanding the difference between accrual and cash accounting, coding complex transactions, and reading your reports correctly. That’s what our Xero training course focuses on.
What our Xero training covers
We tailor each session to what you need, but a typical Xero course covers these modules:
Module 1: Xero setup and navigation
Setting up and using your Xero organisation. Connecting bank accounts, adding users, configuring your chart of accounts, and customising your Xero dashboard. If you’re starting from scratch, this is where we begin.
Module 2: Day-to-day bookkeeping in Xero
Creating and sending invoices, entering bills, reconciling bank transactions, and tracking expenses. We cover bank rules (so Xero learns to categorise recurring transactions automatically), invoice templates, and payment reminders.
Module 3: VAT in Xero
Understanding VAT rates, coding transactions correctly, choosing the right VAT scheme (standard, flat rate, cash accounting), and filing your MTD return to HMRC directly from Xero.
Module 4: Payroll
Running pay runs in Xero, adding new starters, processing leavers, handling pension auto-enrolment, and submitting RTI to HMRC. Relevant if you have employees.
Module 5: Reporting and advanced features
Reading your profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow reports. Setting up tracking categories for multi-project or multi-location reporting. Budget creation and variance reporting. Using Xero’s report packs to generate management reports with one click.
Xero training and AAT qualifications
If you’re studying for an AAT qualification (Level 2 or Level 3), Xero is one of the accounting software packages you’ll need to learn. Our Xero training complements AAT studies by giving you practical, hands-on experience with the Xero software. AAT Level 2 covers bookkeeping basics, Level 3 covers advanced bookkeeping and tax – both map well to our training modules.
We also offer Xero training for people switching careers into bookkeeping or accounting. If you want to learn Xero to offer bookkeeping services, our course gives you the practical skills alongside the Xero certification you’ll need to market yourself as a Xero bookkeeper.
What does Xero training cost?
Our 1-to-1 Xero training sessions cost 75/hour + VAT. Most clients book 2-4 hours depending on their experience level and what they need to cover. A full Xero course covering all five modules typically runs 4-6 hours spread across 2-3 sessions.
Group sessions for teams of 2-5 people are available at 125/hour + VAT.
Get started
Call us on 0161 832 4451 or book a free consultation. We’ll find out what you need from Xero training, recommend how many sessions to book, and schedule at a time that works for you. Sessions are delivered over video call or in person at our Manchester office.
Related guides and services
Read more from our Xero experts:
