Ethics: An Overview for Texas CPAs

Subsequent to the collapse of Enron and the controversies surrounding Arthur Andersen, the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) decided that two hours of board-approved ethics continuing professional education (CPE) each three years was not enough. Beginning January 1, 2005, every licensee must take a four-hour ethics course on the Board’s Rules of Professional Conduct every two years. This course is designed to meet that requirement.

In this course, we will define ethics and provide you with reasons you should be encouraged to continue educating yourself with the goal of achieving the highest standards of ethical conduct as a CPA.

The course will then discuss ethical reasoning and its application to common dilemmas that you may experience.

Next, we will review the core values of the CPA profession (integrity, objectivity and independence).

The final chapter of this course will discuss the Texas Board’s Rules of Professional Conduct as they apply to all aspects of professional accounting work whether performed by CPAs in client practice, in industry, in education or in government. This chapter will also illustrate enforcement procedures which the TSBPA has taken to apply the Rules.

Throughout this course, you will be provided with case studies that demonstrate the application of ethical principles, values, ethical reasoning and the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Objectives:

• Describe the process of ethical reasoning and apply it to ethical delimas.
• Distinguish between the core values of the CPA profession (integrity, objectivity and independence).
  
• Describe the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct and enforcement actions that the Board has recently made to apply those rules.
  
• Evaluate the case studies which are presented throughout the course to assist you in maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct.

Program level: Beginning

56 pages of text

NASBA Category of Study: Ethics

Who should attend: Evaluate the case studies which are presented throughout the course to assist you in maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct.

Advance preparation: None

Instructional method: Self-study text with online quiz

Recommended CPE Credit Hours: 4