How to be an Ethical Professional Accountant
Ethical behavior among accounting professionals is essential. Businesses, individuals and government agencies rely upon accountants to provide them with accurate information so that they can make important financial decisions. Accountants engaged in unethical behavior can hurt the reputation of the business or organization they represent. Various ethics boards have been established in the accounting industry to help maintain a uniform ethics code throughout the industry. Some of these include the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) and the Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board (APESB).
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Instructions
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Join professional accounting organizations like the ACCA, IESBA and the APESB. Joining one organization does not necessarily exclude you from membership in another organization. Each one can provide a system of checks and balances to keep your accounting practice running at an ethical level. These organizations each have their own standards or codes of conduct, but for the most part, ethical standards in the accounting industry are fairly uniform regardless of which organization you join or adhere to.
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Review carefully each code of ethics. Create a list of the main ethical standards of each organization. Use highlighters or some other type of color-coding system to compare the standards of each. This will help you to determine which standards or rules are most important throughout the entire industry. Type up your own code of ethics and either laminate it or frame it. Put it on the wall in your office and review it regularly. Clients will appreciate seeing your ethical standards also.
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Act in a manner that always puts the public's interest ahead of your own. According to Section 53, Article II, of the American Institute of CPA's code of ethics, the heavy reliance upon accountants by the public requires that all accountants recognize and accept their own individual responsibility to the public and its interests. The institute also notes that when conflicting pressures arise, you should act with integrity in such a manner that it protects the public interest. The institute defines integrity as candidness and honesty, "within the constraints of public confidentiality."
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Serve the public with a sense of responsibility. Personal gain and advantage must be abandoned in the accounting industry in favor of actions that serve the needs of clients and the general public. The American Institute of CPA's code notes that the absence of well-defined rules can sometimes cause ethical dilemmas. In those instances, the accountant should act in terms of what is generally considered to be right or honorable.
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References
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