For Canadian tax accountants, offering tax ideas, whether simple planning or complex strategies, is part of everyday work. But ethical tax practice involves much more than just determining if a plan “works” under the law.
As tax planning grows more sophisticated, so do the ethical challenges. This one-hour course delves into the practical and often challenging ethical questions that arise when advising clients on tax matters.
Led by Karen Wensley, MBA, ICD.D and Joseph Devaney, CPA, this session explores common confidentiality risks, conflicts of interest, and the duty to maintain the integrity of the tax system.
Some of the thought-provoking ethical grey areas discussed include:
- Is informed consent enough to manage a conflict of interest?
- If one client wins a dispute with the CRA, can that outcome be shared or leveraged for others?
- When is a valuation ethically necessary?
- Am I or my firm benefitting from the advice beyond simply earning my fee?
- What’s your responsibility when a client wants to use a tax loophole?
Using case studies, including the PwC Australia controversy, along with practical tools and a decision-making checklist, you'll learn how to confidently handle ethical gray areas and maintain client trust.
This course is ideal for Canadian tax professionals who want to sharpen their ethical judgment, reinforce client trust, and protect their professional reputation.
Instructors
Presented by Karen Wensley, MBA, ICD.D, an ethics expert and retired tax partner, and Joseph Devaney, CPA, a seasoned tax specialist and respected national presenter, this session delivers a practical, insightful, and thought-provoking exploration of how to navigate the complex ethical landscape of today’s tax environment.
 (1).png)
Learn more about the instructors!
Karen Wensley MBA ICD.D
Karen Wensley was a special lecturer in business ethics at the University of Waterloo from 2010 - 2019.
She was the author of the monthly ethics column for CPA Magazine from 2014 - 2018. She authored the eLearning module on ethics in tax for the InDepth tax course. Karen retired as a partner of Ernst & Young in 2010, where she spent most of her career as a tax partner, head of tax services to the technology sector, and then became the firm’s managing partner for HR.
Karen is a member of the board of directors and chair of the audit committee of Partners Community Health and Gore Mutual Insurance and Amref Health Canada. She provides workshops and consulting services to businesses in the areas of ethics, culture, executive coaching and team effectiveness.
Joseph R. Devaney CPA, CA
Joe has provided technical support on both corporate and personal tax matters to local and international firms since 2007. Joe’s practical experience has primarily included compliance and planning strategies for Canadian owner-manager businesses and individuals.
As a member of the Video Tax News Editorial Board, Joe authors and contributes to three tax publications as well as prepares and presents courses across Canada relating to both personal and corporate tax. He has also presented tax research and published articles for a variety of other organizations such as Law Now, Canadian Tax Foundation and various CPA groups.
Joe currently sits on CPA Alberta's Members in Tax Working Group and received CPA Alberta’s distinguished service award in 2023. Joe is a past member the Steering Committee of the Edmonton Young Tax Practitioners Group and of the Board of Directors for Fringe Theatre Adventures.
Connect with Joseph on LinkedIn
PRICING AND VIEWING OPTIONS
Pre-Recorded Sessions
These valuable sessions are pre-recorded and the videos can be viewed at any time during your selected session dates. Enjoy the flexibility to break up the sessions as desired as well as to pause, rewind or skip ahead. You can view these videos as many times as required during the session periods.
Volume discounts for 4+ registrants!
- 24/7 access to the course portal during your session dates (select your 1-week session below)
- 1-hour online pre-recorded webinar – presentation may be watched as many times as desired and at any time, during the session dates
- Electronic textbook and material
- Online course quiz
- Professional development certificate (1-hour) pending successful completion of the quiz
DISCOUNTS
Early bird discount — Save $10/registrant by registering by June 13, 2025. This applies to single course registrations only. Review the 4-pack discount for specific early bird details for that package.
Group Registrations (4 or more) — Each additional registrant after the first three registrations will be $50 (a savings of $65 for each additional registrant). Additional registrants for the same session can be accepted after the initial registration. The main contact from the initial registration must initiate and complete the order for additional registrants. Please contact the office via email if required (info@videotax.com).
4-pack discount — Save 25% by registering for all 4 1-hour Ethics courses. The early bird discount for the 4-pack will be $30/registrant for registrations received by June 13, 2025.
Save 25%. Click here to register for all 4 Ethics courses.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Click here to review the standard Terms of Service.
Balancing opportunity with responsibility.
Pricing
- $115 / registrant
- Registering more than 3 people? Register 3 and each additional registrant is $50.
Early bird discount — Save $10 by registering by June 13, 2025.
4-pack discount — Save 25% by registering for all 4 1-hour Ethics courses.
Related Courses
This session is the perfect starting point to understand AI’s ethical dimensions—and to begin using it with purpose and professionalism.
Learn how to turn everyday conversations into powerful tools for preventing ethical missteps and strengthening trust across your firm.
Learn about the ethical grey zones accountants face when creating and sharing content online.