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In today’s business world, corporate or small business ethical accounting practices are of the essence. It is good moral and ethical accounting practices that protect an organization from unethical federal and governmental practices to include lawsuits and liabilities from misreporting of an organizations portfolio. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) enables an organization to follow appropriate guidelines and regulations that govern ethical accounting practices. Organizations conforming to the practices of the AICPA can ensure healthy accounting practices conducted in their organization.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants The AICPA is considered the foundation of ethical reasoning in accounting because According to Mintz and Morris (2011), the principles guide members in the performance of their professional responsibilities and call for an unyielding commitment to honor the public trust, even at the sacrifice of personal benefits. (Chapter Chapter 1, Ethical Reasoning: Implications for Accounting). The AICPA is founded on three underlining principles or fundamentals. They consist of public interest, integrity, and responsibilities. These principles as stated previously allow and guide professionals in delivering ethical practices for clients. It allows them to perform ethically sound actions even when no one is looking or observing.
Public Interest Working in light of the public carries a sound profile. A trusted profile which defines an organization or profession that provides a service. The members of the AICPA strive to perform the utmost services for the public. The accounting profession’s public consists of a multitude of patrons. As a certified public accountant it is of the essence that the members perform and apply genuine care and concern in providing a service to the public without bias. The many services in which the members carry out are executed in accordance with the principles of the code of professional conduct. Their dedication to the profession elevates trust and confidence in the public (AICPA American institute of CPAs, 2012).
Integrity
The integrity in the accounting arena is paramount and a solid foundation where trust is official. When integrity is loss it cannot be brought back. When standard operating procedures are inappropriately in use and performed poorly public confidentiality is torn and divided. Members of the AICPA are to make decisions in the best interest of the public using integrity as a guiding principle. It is in this instance that when laws, regulations, and policy are absent that the members of the AICPA use integrity in making effective and quantifiable decisions. This is doing what is right, legally and morally. These members of integrity act accordingly to the principles and not to what works at the instant. They make principles known and without fail, perform in accordance with them (AICPA American institute of CPAs, 2012).
Responsibilities
Accountants have the sole responsibility of performing accounting actions that incur a high visibility impact in the accounting profession. Working jointly, the members of the AICPA ensure that the validity of the profession is functioning through the use of ethically sound accounting practices which assure public confidence. They perform and uphold these responsibilities through fostering a healthy and sound profession that understands protocol, policy and procedures in accounting (AICPA American institute of CPAs, 2012).
Conclusion
These principles found under the AICPA are considered important because they instill a code of professional ethics for members to work by. Without a solid foundation or principles public trust would not exist. Moral and ethical accounting practices allow and enable healthy accounting practices to exist. These principles allow members of the AICPA to perform morally and ethically even when no one is looking or observing. The AICPA organization is established to ensure that accounting practices run fluid and consistent in making ethical and moral accounting decisions.

References

AICPA American institute of CPAs. (2012). AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. Retrieved

from http://www.aicpa.org/Research/Standards/CodeofConduct/Pages/default.aspx
Mintz, S. M., & Morris, R. E. (2011). Ethical Obligations and Decision Making In Accounting:
Text and Cases (2nd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

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