AICPA Professional Code of Conduct

When dealing with issues such as professional ethics, the stakes can be high. This is why such care is taken to painstakingly clarify terms such as integrity and independence in the AICPA Professional Code of Conduct, as they could otherwise be open to interpretation. In this week's discussion, you will find illustrative examples of these key principles to share and discuss with your peers.

First, review the terms and definitions identified in the "Principles of Professional Conduct" section of the preamble to the AICPA Professional Code of Conduct. Select one of the principles (e.g., responsibilities, public interest, integrity, objectivity and independence, due care, or scope and nature of services) and research a current event that demonstrates that principle being threatened or otherwise not adhered to. (This does not need to be a case strictly about accounting—it could be any relevant business scenario. If you have trouble finding a current event, you can create a hypothetical scenario related to your final project business.)