New accountants, whether coming right out of school or from industry will find that the accounting profession is heavily governed by technical and ethical standards. In addition, the new accounting professional will need to understand new terminology as well as what their team members and clients expect of them by way of job performance and client service. This module will help those transitioning to the accounting profession to understand the role of the accountant in public accounting and in industry, discuss the major standards relating to ethics including integrity, objectivity, independence and serving the public trust. (Please Note: This module is part of Surgent's Audit Skills Training: Level 1.)
Learning Objectives
- Describe what it means to be a professional
- Understand the major standards governing the behavior of accountants and where to find them
- Explain the importance of character, integrity and serving the public interest
- Describe the importance of independence and objectivity
- Identify characteristics of high performing accountants
- Be able to handle ethical dilemmas
Major Topics
- The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct
- The Conceptual Framework for Independence
- Safeguarding independence when performing both attest and non-attest services
- How to handle ethical dilemmas commonly faced by new professionals
- Role of accounting professionals in public accounting and in industry
- Characteristics common to high performing accounting professionals
