The accountant is beset with requirements from regulatory agencies and the government that strictly define his or her responsibilities in many areas of daily practice. This ethics CPE course covers many of these responsibilities, noting their exact sources in case the accountant wants to peruse them in greater detail. The responsibilities covered in our CPA ethics course include one's responsibilities when acting in a fiduciary capacity, when dealing with taxpayers, when involved with the auditing of publicly-held companies, and when confronted with financial violations that are not being addressed by management.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Describe the constraints on the accountant to engage in whistleblowing activities.
Specify the circumstances under which the Securities and Exchange Commission allows the disclosure of confidential client information.
Describe the terms of monetary payout arrangements to whistleblowers in the Dodd-Frank Act.
Identify the legal arrangement under which a party can file a lawsuit on behalf of the government, with the intent of obtaining a settlement related to defrauding the government.
Specify the requirements of the various sections of the Sarbanes-Oxley act as they pertain to the responsibilities of the accounting function.
Explain the terms under which a publicly-held company can hire its auditors for in-house positions.
Describe the services that an audit firm cannot provide to its publicly-held audit clients.
Specify the thresholds used to indicate the probability of success for tax return positions.
Major Topics
Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing by the Auditor
Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Protections
Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program
False Claims Act
IRS Whistleblower Program
Audit Committees
Codes of Ethics
Tax Return Positions
Fiduciary Basics
Types of Trusts
Trustee Responsibilities
