Ethical principles and independence requirements to uphold honesty, objectivity, and professional conduct are examined for accounting and finance professionals earning their CPA license.

Ethical accounting is a MUST

Understanding and applying ethical principles and independence requirements is every accounting and finance professional’s responsibility. You'll learn the fundamentals of ethical accounting to help you adhere to professional ethics standards. Essential ethics topics include:

• Viewing and analyzing ethical matters
• Adhering to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct
• Applying the code’s conceptual framework
• Evaluating conflicts of interest and maintaining confidentiality

Maintaining your independence

Independence rules play a key role in professional ethics as well. Vital topics you'll explore are:

• The AICPA independence rules
• Independence rules regarding personal financial interests, loans, employment, and business relationships that relate to you and your immediate family
• Independence rules from regulators, including the SEC and PCAOB

Other ethics considerations

More topics in professional ethics you'll cover include:

• Rules that apply to government auditors and audits of employee benefit plans, federally funded charitable organizations, financial institutions, and insurance
• Rule interpretations related to gifts and entertainment
• Ethics rules related to professional tax services

Real-world scenarios

Case studies and realistic examples will enhance your comprehension and enable you to practice what you’ve learned.

 

• This AICPA course fulfills the Idaho State Board of Accountancy's ethics requirement to APPLY for your CPA license.
  • You must pass this course with a score of 90% or higher to qualify.

• This course DOES NOT satisfy the Idaho State Board of Accountancy's Idaho State-Specific ethics requirement.
  • After receiving your Idaho CPA license, you must complete 2 hours of Idaho State-Specific ethics in the same calendar year.
  • You may find ISCPA's Idaho State-Specific Ethics course here.

• Recall ethical rule setters and methodologies for analyzing ethical matters.
• Recognize the interpretations of the "Integrity and Objectivity" rule.
• Identify the provisions of professional conduct.
• Recall how independence rules apply to personal matters.
• Recognize rules for a firm's independence.
• Recognize SEC and PCAOB independence rules.
• Identify ethical regulatory requirements of other regulators.
• Identify ethics rules for the tax practice.

• AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and its Conceptual Framework
• Ethics and independence rules from the AICPA and other regulators, including the U.S. government
• Activities that discredit the profession
• Ethics interpretations issued by PEEC
• NOCLAR
• AICPA Statements on Standards for Tax Services (SSTSs)
• U.S. Treasury Department’s Circular No. 230
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) penalty provisions

• Before you begin, you will be prompted to enter which State Board of Accountancy you want your score reported to.
  • If you are NOT prompted for this information, please contact Gwynne ASAP at 208-901-2513.