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Aicpa Code of Professional Conduct

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AICPA Code of Professional Conduct
ETH/376
In order to understand the AICPA Code of Conduct you must understand the AICPA itself. The AICPA is a group of CPAs all around the world that volunteers to keep up the ethical obligations of CPAs. The AICPA Code of Conduct is known as the the foundation of ethical reasoning in accounting because it lays out the “law” accountants should follow in order to keep a good moral and ethics in the accounting profession.
There are many purposes for the AICPA Code of Conduct but I feel that there are three that are more important than others. One purpose that I feel to be important is to keep the integrity of the accounting profession. As accountant clients hold us to very high standards. We are suppose to be honest, loyal and trust worthy. I feel that without the AICPA Code of Conduct laying out any type of foundation of integrity then CPAs would be viewed in so many negative ways. I don’t think I can stress enough how much ethics play into many professions not just accounting and how important that the AICPA Code of Conduct is based on ethical reasoning. Another purpose that I feel to be important is to look out for the client’s best interest. By looking out for what is best for the clients then as accountants it keeps jobs open and growing because no matter what kind of business you are you need someone to do accounting but if you don’t have a company of accountants or a personal accountant looking for your best interest as an owner than you don’t have anything. When you don’t have a professional doing your accounting that’s were mistakes are made and money can be lost. Lastly one important purpose of the AICPA Code of Conduct is to make sure that accountants follow a certain type of ethical obligations. Ethical obligations are important as much as an accountant’s job is. If one accountant or company takes ethical obligations as a joke and the client finds out it makes the whole CPA profession look bad as so many scandals have done.
Although there are many purposes of the AICPA Codes of Conduct, the ones listed above are just a few that I felt to be most important.

Reference:
Mintz, S. M., & Morris, R. E. (2011). Ethical obligations and decision making in accounting. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin

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