Skip to main content
by learnformula
search
For Business
Team license & compliance management
For Higher Education
Academic partnerships
For Government Agencies
Government training solutions
For Instructors & Course Creators
Teach on our marketplace
Become a Sponsor
Reach professionals where they learn
Log inStart 7-Day Free TrialStart Free TrialStart Free Trial
search
  1. Courses
  2. /Ethics
  3. /Ethics for Accountants

4-Hour Ethics for Accountants 2026

Master the ethical framework, avoid common pitfalls, and protect your professional reputation in an AI-driven world.

Created byDavid Trahairworkspace_premiumBest Instructor
BeginnerUpdated Jun 11, 2026

What You'll Learn

  • check_circleAnalyze the professional conduct rules and disciplinary processes for CPAs in Ontario, BC, and Alberta.
  • check_circleEvaluate the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in professional accounting practice.
  • check_circleIdentify common red flags and professional failures in high-profile fraud cases like Bernie Madoff and QuadrigaCX.
  • check_circleApply ethical principles to resolve conflicts of interest, independence issues, and practice management challenges.
  • check_circleDemonstrate the importance of professional skepticism, documentation, and cooperation with regulatory bodies.

About This Course

In this 4-hour course we'll cover all the basics regarding ethics for accountants. It's a completely updated 2026 version of my previous course of the same name.

We'll review the oversight and disciplinary process, as well as the Code of Conduct for CPA Ontario, BC and Alberta. The course also includes new actual disciplinary cases, as well as sections on the Bernie Madoff and QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency platform frauds.

And we'll conduct a deep dive into violations by rules of professional conduct for the province of Ontario as well as the cases for BC and Alberta. I'll show you what the top seven broken rules have been in Ontario since 1987 from a summary of all 1,072 discipline cases since then. We'll see that these seven rules account for 89% of all discipline cases so you can focus on what catches most CPAs.

And we'll go through more than a dozen recent discipline cases of CPAs who have broken the rules including what led them to do it, as well as the reasons why they received the sanctions they did. This will include income tax and GST/HST fraud, employee fraud, client loans, conflicts of interest, misleading statements, CPD deficiencies, CSRE 2400 compilation and review issues, CSQM 1 quality management, and regulator non-cooperation.

New 2026 sections connect artificial intelligence to existing CPA obligations, including confidentiality, competence, bias, hallucinations, cybersecurity, documentation, and accountability.

The result is a practical, engaging ethics program where you'll earn 4 verifiable professional ethics CPD hours while learning how to protect your reputation, your clients, your employer, and the profession.

WHO WILL BENEFIT

CPAs wishing to learn all about the ethical rules they must comply with and satisfy their 4-hour ethics requirement.

Course Content

8 activities • 7 videos • duration: 3h 57m

remove
Introduction, learning outcomes, Madoff fraud1 videos • 39 min
  • videocamIntroduction to Ethics and the Madoff Case
    Duration 39:22
add
Oversight of Ontario CPAs - Part 11 videos • 27 min
add
Oversight of Ontario CPAs - Part 21 videos • 40 min
add
Discipline cases1 videos • 31 min
add
The QuadrigaCX Fraud1 videos • 16 min
add
Oversight of BC CPAs1 videos • 39 min
add
Oversight of BC CPAs, Conclusion1 videos • 42 min
add
Final Assessment1 quiz

Your Instructor

David Trahair

Acclaimed Author and On-demand Course Developer

menu_book39 courses
star12,970 reviews

David Trahair, CPA, CA, is an author and eLearning developer who creates on-demand video courses for CPAs across Canada. His courses cover topics including personal finance, ethics, AI, and Microsoft Excel. David is also the author of six personal finance books, three of which are national bestsellers. Through his firm, he helps CPAs build practical skills through engaging, self-paced learning.

Credit Information

Is this course eligible for my CPD requirements as a Canadian CPA?

Provincial regulators of CPAs in Canada do not require that independent providers of CPD be approved to offer courses. Instead, individual CPAs are responsible for assessing whether a CPD activity meets their requirements, and may take activities from any source provided those requirements are met.

Every course offered on LearnFormula is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, and advances learning objectives that are relevant to the responsibilities or professional competencies of Canadian CPAs. All activities on LearnFormula are quantifiable in terms of hours, and are also verifiable, in that users receive documented evidence of their attendance via a certificate of completion after finishing a course (and this certificate is stored by LearnFormula indefinitely). Nearly 100,000 Canadian CPAs successfully satisfy their CPD requirements via LearnFormula on an annual basis.

What Students Are Saying

5.0 out of 5
Student's Choice
109 reviews
  • SM
    Simon M.
    starstarstarstarstar

    A thorough refresher course of ethical sections of the handbook well supported by real life examples of professional ethical failures and consequences

  • EV
    Eric v.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Excellent course

  • JP
    Jeniffer P.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Good refresher and excellent reminder of the trust we are to be faithful stewards of. Thank you.

  • SP
    Sean P.
    starstarstarstarstar

    good watch

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 300+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 27 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.

You May Also Like

  • Ethics: Business Ethics

    2026 Ethics and Corporate Compliance

    starRated5.0out of 5,(523 reviews)
    2 CPD hrs
  • Finance: Budgeting & Financial Forecasting

    Critical Skills for CFOs & Controllers: Budgeting & Forecasting Strategies for Today’s World

    starRated5.0out of 5,(108 reviews)
    2.5 CPD hrs
  • Accounting & Tax: Technology for Accountants

    Claude Fundamentals for Accountants (2026 Update)

    starRated5.0out of 5,(610 reviews)
    2.5 CPD hrs