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Self-Study Courses

General Ethics for CPAs (Currently Unavailable)

3 CPE Credits $25.67/credit hour
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 4.8 (42 ratings)
A CPA is challenged in today’s work world to not only serve his/her client or employer but also to protect the public interest by ensuring that there is transparency in financial reporting or there is fair administration of the tax laws. In balancing the two interests, a CPA may find him or herself in an ethical dilemma. This course covers not only basic ethical frameworks, but also specific rules governing CPA practice and responsibilities. It concludes with a section on how a CPA can put his or her ethics into action.

Publication Date: May 2021

Designed For
CPAs in client practice of public accountancy who perform attest and non-attest services, employed in industry who provide internal accounting and auditing services, or employed in education or in government accounting or auditing.

Topics Covered

  • What are Ethics?
  • AICPA Code of Professional Conduct
  • Components of the Code
  • Organization of Code
  • Case Studies
  • Integrity and Objectivity
  • Conflicts of Interest
  • Contingent Fees
  • Responsibility to the Public, Clients, and Employers
  • Competence
  • Confidential Information
  • Whistleblowing

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize ethics of professional accounting as CPAs
  • Identify the intent of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and/or specific state board rules in the performance of professional accounting services/work, not to adhere to the mere technical compliance of such rules
  • Recognize how the CPA can apply ethical judgment in interpreting the rules and determining public interest
  • Identify the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and their implications for persons in a variety of practices
  • Describe ethics case studies and how they apply to your clients
  • Identify situations where independence is being compromised
  • Recognize what is included under the Due Care principle under ET § 0.300.060
  • Describe violations of rules of professional conduct
  • Recognize when contingent fee for services can be taken

Level
Basic

Instructional Method
Self-Study

NASBA Field of Study
Regulatory Ethics (3 hours)

Program Prerequisites
None

Advance Preparation
None

Instructor

Allison McLeod

Professor McLeod, LL.M., JD, CPA, is currently a full-time Senior Lecturer at the University of North Texas, where she has taught classes in Corporate Income Taxes, Multi-jurisdictional Taxes, Individual Taxes, Tax Research, Ethics and Financial Accounting. She has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas College of Law.

Prior to Professor McLeod going into academia, she worked for 18 years in industry and in a Big Four accounting firm. Professor McLeod earned a law degree from Baylor School of Law, and an LL.M. degree in Taxation from Southern Methodist School of Law. She has been a licensed CPA since 1993 and has been licensed to practice law since 1992. Professor McLeod has enjoyed teaching live ethics course to CPAs since 2011 and is the owner of  www.cpaethicsonline.com, which offers on-line self-study courses to CPAs. She currently serves on the Professional Ethics Committee of the Texas Society of CPAs.which offers on-line self-study courses to CPAs. She served on the Professional Ethics Committee of the Texas Society of CPAs and the AICPA CPA Exam Committee (REG).
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