AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping

Is the AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping suitable for me?

This qualification offers progression for students with existing bookkeeping knowledge, and who are training for a Bookkeeping role, or want to undertake additional study.

This course best suits those who have already completed the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping and are looking to gain further skills and knowledge suitable for advanced Bookkeeping positions.

Learn how to become a Bookkeeper. 

If you have not completed the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping course but are interested in progressing onto Level 3, we suggest enrolling on our AAT Levels 2 & 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping, where both courses are available in one package.

This course would benefit those:

• Considering becoming an independent Bookkeeper.
• Wanting to be a vital part of an accounts or finance team.
• Looking to become an accredited, highly skilled Bookkeeper.
• Who are self-employed and looking to do their own bookkeeping.

What jobs can I apply for after my AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping training?

This AAT Level 3 Bookkeeping Certificate training course will take your knowledge of Bookkeeping to the next level and enhance your career opportunities.

Once you have successfully passed your Level 3 assessments, you will be eligible to apply for AAT Bookkeeper status (letting you use the designatory letters AATQB after you name), become a self-employed Bookkeeper within your own business, and offer self-employed services in the UK, including Bookkeeping, Financial Accounts and Accounts Preparation for Sole Traders, VAT, Computerised Accountancy Systems, and Payroll.

You can also broaden your career opportunities into the Accounting side of the industry, through the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting, and AAT Level 3 Certificate in Accounting training courses.

The skills developed throughout this course could help you move into the following careers:

• Bookkeeper - £22,700
• Senior Bookkeeper - £30,521
• Ledger Manager - £32,000
• Accounting Manager - £35,600

Salaries range by industry, sector, and role.

(Source: Payscale)

What can I expect from a career in Bookkeeping?

As a Bookkeeper you’ll be responsible for a few different areas of the business, including:

• Recording transactions (income and outgoings).
• Processing payments.
• Conducting daily banking activities.
• Producing various financial reports.
• Reconciling reports to third-party records such as bank statements.

AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping Syllabus

• Unit 1 – Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements
• Unit 2 – Tax Processes for Businesses

Unit 1 – Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements Learning Outcomes

• Understand the accounting principles underlying final accounts preparation
• Understand the principles of advanced double-entry bookkeeping
• Implement procedures for the acquisition and disposal of non-current assets
• Prepare and record depreciation calculations
• Record period end adjustments
• Produce and extend the trial balance
• Produce financial statements for sole traders and partnerships
• Interpret financial statements using profitability ratios
• Prepare accounting records from incomplete information

Unit 2 – Tax Processes for Businesses Learning Outcomes

• Understand legislation requirements relating to VAT
• Calculate VAT
• Review and verify VAT returns
• Understand principles of payroll
• Report information within the organisation

Unit 1 – Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements Syllabus

• Understand the accounting principles underlying final accounts preparation
  • The primary users of final accounts
  • The framework of accounting underlying the preparation of final accounts
  • Qualities of useful financial information
• Understand the principles of advanced double-entry bookkeeping
  • Use of the accounting equation
  • Classification of ledger accounts
  • Purpose and use of books of prime entry and ledger accounting
  • Carry out financial period end routines
• Implement procedures for the acquisition and disposal of non-current assets
  • Importance of prior authority for capital expenditure
  • The importance of classifying expenditure into capital or revenue expenditure
  • Record acquisitions and disposals of non-current assets
• Prepare and record depreciation calculations
  • Calculate depreciation
  • Record depreciation
• Record period end adjustments
  • Record accruals and prepayments of income and expenditure
  • Record irrecoverable debts and allowances for doubtful receivables
  • Record inventory
  • Considerations for recording period end adjustments
• Produce and extend the trial balance
  • Prepare an initial trial balance
  • Prepare an adjusted trial balance
  • Complete the extended trial balance (ETB)
• Produce financial statements for sole traders and partnerships
  • Prepare financial statements for sole traders
  • Opening and closing capital for sole traders
  • Produce the SPL for partnerships
  • Produce the SFP for partnerships
• Interpret financial statements using profitability ratios
  • Calculate profitability ratios
  • The interpretation of profitability ratios
• Prepare accounting records from incomplete information
  • Identify missing figures
  • Mark-up and margin
  • Reasonableness of figures when information is incomplete

Unit 2 – Tax Processes for Businesses Syllabus

• Understand legislation requirements relating to VAT
  • UK tax law principles relating to VAT
  • VAT registration and deregistration requirements
  • Filing and payment of VAT returns
  • Special schemes
  • Implications for non-compliance with VAT regulations
• Calculate VAT
  • Extracting relevant data from accounting records
  • VAT invoices
  • VAT calculations
• Review and verify VAT returns
  • Make adjustments for errors or omissions in VAT returns
  • Verify information contained within VAT returns
• Understand principles of payroll
  • Employer responsibilities of payroll
  • Operating payroll
• Report information within the organisation
  • Communicating information on VAT and payroll related matters

Legislation, regulation, guidance, and codes of practice

What is the TOTUM PRO Card and where can you use it?

This course is eligible for a TOTUM PRO Card, which offers discounts in a wide range of shops and websites, helping you get money off food, holidays and flights, clothes, make-up gym memberships and much more. TOTUM PRO card is aimed at professional learners, giving you access to exclusive discounts. Explore the full list of offers.