Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Description
In this 4-hour course, we'll cover the fundamentals of professional ethics for accountants practicing in Ontario. Completely updated for 2026, the course includes a comprehensive review of the CPA Ontario Code of Professional Conduct and its practical application in today's professional environment.
A major addition to this edition is a substantive new section on Artificial Intelligence (AI). We'll explore how modern AI tools intersect with professional responsibilities such as integrity, confidentiality, due care, and professional competence, as well as how to navigate emerging risks including AI hallucinations, automation bias, and "shadow AI."
We'll also take a detailed look at some publicly available professional conduct violations in Ontario. You'll learn which seven rules have generated the greatest number of discipline cases since 1987 and why these areas continue to present challenges for practitioners. In addition, we've added four new Ontario discipline cases, bringing the total to eight in-depth case studies. Through these real-world examples, we'll examine how professional misconduct and competence issues arise, including matters involving tax fraud, employee fraud, entrusted funds, and professional judgment, along with the sanctions that resulted.
The course also includes detailed case studies of the Bernie Madoff investment fraud and the collapse of QuadrigaCX, examining the ethical, governance, and professional lessons arising from each case. Whether you work in public practice, industry, government, or the not-for-profit sector, this course will help you better understand your professional obligations and strengthen your ability to protect your reputation, your clients, your employer, and the profession.
Key Takeaways
- Learn about the oversight, complaints, and disciplinary process
- Discover the layout, key principles, and content of the CPA Ontario Code of Professional Conduct
- Understand how AI fits into professional ethics for Ontario CPAs, including how to manage the risks of hallucinations, bias, shadow AI, and confidentiality breaches
- Leave with a practical framework for managing ethical risks, including when to pause, document your decisions, verify information, and seek guidance before issues escalate.
Who Will Benefit
Accounting professionals in Ontario who want to better understand the ethical and professional conduct requirements applicable to their work.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in the course are non-authoritative and have not been formally endorsed by CPA Ontario and do not reflect the views of CPA Ontario. The information included in the course if for general information purposes only.
CPA Ontario, the presenters and the authors do not accept any responsibility or liability that might occur directly or indirectly as a consequence of the use or application of or reliance on this material.
How to Access the Course
New mobile learning! Download Blackboard Learn from your app store (iOS or Android). Learn more.
To access the course on your computer please visit our BlackBoard site, and log-in using the same login and password used for the Registration Portal.
Please allow up to 15 minutes after registration for the course to appear on your BlackBoard page.
Registration, cancellation, withdrawal and all other CPA Ontario PD policies can be found here.
Speaker(s)
David Trahair, CPA, CA, is a financial writer, trainer and best-selling author. His other books include Smoke and Mirrors, Enough Bull, Crushing Debt, and The Procrastinator’s Guide to Retirement. His views are totally independent because he does not sell any financial products. He currently operates his own financial training firm and offers seminars to organizations.