Former U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Ken Kies Returns to Surgent CPE Faculty, Joins Weekly Expert Hour and Launches New Monthly Program

Kies, who most recently served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy and Acting Chief Counsel of the IRS, will teach a free session of Surgent's Weekly Expert Hour on Sept. 24 and will co-host a new monthly program with Mike Tucker

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Ken Kies has returned to the Surgent CPE faculty and will resume his regular Thursday appearances on Surgent's Weekly Expert Hour (WEXH), beginning with a free session Sept. 24 open to all attendees.
• Kies will also co-host a new live monthly program, Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies, launching Oct. 6 and examining current tax legislation, IRS guidance and their practical implications for practitioners and their clients.
• Both programs are available to firms through Surgent's group CPE licensing, giving accounting and finance teams ongoing access to insight from a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy and Acting IRS Chief Counsel.

DALLAS, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Surgent CPE, a UWorld company and leader in continuing professional education for accounting and finance professionals, today announced that Ken Kies has returned to the Surgent CPE faculty and will resume his regular Thursday appearances alongside instructor Mike Tucker on Surgent's Weekly Expert Hour (WEXH), a one-credit premium CPE course held approximately 40 times a year.

Kies will also co-host Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies, a new live monthly program moderated by Tucker covering current developments in Congress and federal tax policy. Kies' first WEXH session back airs live Sept. 24 and will be free and open to all attendees; registration is open at surgentcpe.com/wexh-ken-kies-returns.

Kies was a popular Surgent CPE instructor for years, including a widely attended free webinar analyzing the 2024 election results, before his confirmation by the U.S. Senate in June 2025 as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy, a position in which he also served as Acting Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service. In that role, he led the U.S. Department of the Treasury's implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the sweeping 2025 tax law.

"Ken brings a perspective very few instructors can offer: he was inside Treasury and the IRS shaping the guidance practitioners are working to interpret right now," said Elizabeth Kolar, Surgent's executive vice president. "Getting him back in front of our learners, both on Weekly Expert Hour and in his new program with Mike Tucker on what's happening in Congress, means CPAs and tax professionals get faster, more informed insight into how federal tax policy is actually developing. That is exactly the kind of first-to-market instruction Surgent CPE is built to deliver."

About Weekly Expert Hour (WEXH)

Surgent's Weekly Expert Hour is a live, one-credit webinar held approximately 40 times a year, giving CPAs, enrolled agents and other tax professionals a consistent, ongoing source of CPE credit built around the latest developments in tax law, IRS guidance and regulatory change. Kies rejoins the WEXH instructor rotation alongside Mike Tucker, resuming his regular Thursday appearances.

Kies' first session back, airing live Thursday, Sept. 24, will be offered free of charge and open to all attendees, with registration available to non-subscribers online; current Surgent CPE Unlimited Plus subscribers may register through their standard registration process.

About Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies

Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies (TPHK) premieres Oct. 6 as a new, live monthly CPE program co-presented by Kies and Tucker. Drawing on Kies' firsthand experience at the U.S. Treasury Department and as Acting Chief Counsel of the IRS, along with his years advising clients in private practice, the program examines significant current tax developments and what they mean in practice for individuals, businesses and their advisers.

Rather than simply reviewing the law, each session focuses on how major tax legislation moves through Congress, Treasury and the IRS, what recent guidance signals about implementation, and where practitioners should expect increased IRS scrutiny and enforcement. Topics include the evolution of individual and business tax legislation, effective dates and transition rules, planning opportunities, IRS examination trends and the practical implications of new reporting requirements. The program is designed for accounting and finance professionals who need the latest tax guidance for themselves and their clients. Sessions air live from 2 to 3 p.m. ET and are available afterward for CPE credit via self-study, the same format used for WEXH. Like WEXH, it is a premium course available at $79 per session or included with a Surgent CPE Unlimited Plus subscription. Registration is now open.

Available for Firms

Both Weekly Expert Hour and Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies are included in Surgent's group CPE licensing for firms, giving accounting and finance teams a shared, ongoing source of premium content built around the latest tax legislation, IRS guidance and regulatory change.

For learning and development leaders, controllers, CFOs and managing partners evaluating a CPE provider for their whole team, Surgent CPE for Firms is built around firm performance, not just compliance, helping staff turn new guidance into billable work faster and with less rework. Firms interested in bringing Kies' insider perspective to their teams can learn more at surgentcpe.com/cpe-for-firms.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question: What is Surgent's Weekly Expert Hour (WEXH)?
Answer: WEXH is a live, one-credit premium CPE webinar held approximately 40 times a year, giving CPAs, enrolled agents and other tax professionals an ongoing source of CPE credit built around the latest developments in tax law, IRS guidance and regulatory change.

Question: What is Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies?
Answer: It is a new live, hour-long monthly CPE program co-presented by Ken Kies and Mike Tucker, launching Oct. 6. Each session examines current tax legislation, Treasury regulations and IRS guidance, along with the practical planning opportunities and enforcement trends practitioners should know about.

Question: Who is Ken Kies?
Answer: Ken Kies is a tax attorney with more than 40 years of experience in economic policy and tax legislation. He most recently served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy and Acting Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service, where he led the Treasury Department's implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

Question: When does Ken Kies return to Surgent CPE, and is the first session free?
Answer: Kies' first WEXH session back airs live Thursday, Sept. 24, and is free and open to all attendees, with or without a subscription.

Question: How much do WEXH and Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies cost?
Answer: Both are premium courses available individually at $79 per session or included with a Surgent CPE Unlimited Plus subscription.

Question: Are these courses available to accounting and finance firms?
Answer: Yes. Both WEXH and Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies are included in Surgent's group CPE licensing for firms, giving teams a shared source of premium, up-to-date tax content.

Question: Where can professionals learn more or register?
Answer: Individuals can register for Kies' free Sept. 24 WEXH session online, and firms can learn more about group licensing through Surgent CPE for Firms webpage, referenced above.

About Ken Kies

Kenneth J. Kies, J.D., LL.M, is a renowned tax attorney with more than 40 years of experience in economic policy and tax legislation, spanning both government and private practice. He most recently served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy and Acting Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service, confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June 2025, where he led the U.S. Department of the Treasury's implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Prior to his Senate confirmation, Kies was managing director of the Federal Policy Group LLC, advising clients and practitioners on federal tax policy matters, and earlier in his career served as chief of staff of the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation. Over more than four decades, Kies has worked closely with Congress and federal agencies to shape economic legislation, giving him a firsthand perspective few instructors can offer.

About Mike Tucker

Mike Tucker, Ph.D., LL.M., J.D., CPA, is a Surgent CPE instructor and frequent presenter on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He will moderate both Kies' WEXH appearances and Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies.

Availability

Both Weekly Expert Hour and Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies are premium courses available individually at $79 per session or included with a Surgent CPE Unlimited Plus subscription. Kies' Sept. 24 WEXH session is free and open to all attendees, with registration available as noted above. Surgent's Tax Policy Hour with Ken Kies launches Oct. 6, with registration also open now as noted above.

About Surgent CPE

Surgent CPE, a UWorld company, provides continuing professional education for CPAs, enrolled agents, tax advisors and other accounting and finance professionals, with a focus on first-to-market coverage of new tax laws, legislation and accounting and auditing regulations.

About UWorld

UWorld is a global leader in comprehensive academic and professional education. Since 2001, the company has helped more than 5 million high school, undergraduate, graduate and professional students prepare for high-stakes accounting, college admissions, finance, legal, medical, nursing and pharmacy exams and achieve their academic and career goals. UWorld supports students and educators with comprehensive courses, high-quality practice questions, and detailed answer explanations designed to improve outcomes. Aspen Publishing, Efficient Learning, JD-Next®, Roger CPA Review®, RxPrep®, Surgent Accounting & Financial Education™ and Themis Bar Review® are UWorld companies. Learn more at UWorld.com.

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