To provide Texas CPAs and other finance professionals with ethics education that satisfies the Texas ethics CPE requirement and strengthens their ability to apply TSBPA rules, professional standards, and ethical judgment in executing their professional responsibilities.

• The four core ethical principles: independence, integrity, objectivity and competence
• A brief history of ethics in Texas accounting
• The relationship between morals and ethics
• Overview of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) rules and regulations
• Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Title 22, Rules:
  – Subchapter A: General Provisions
  – Subchapter B: Professional Standards
  – Subchapter C: Responsibilities to Clients
  – Subchapter D: Responsibilities to the Public
  – Subchapter E: Responsibilities to the Board/Profession
• Violation reporting: Texas State Board Reports and enforcement actions
• An ethical case study

To satisfy the general Ethics requirement for Texas CPAs and emphasize the need for prudent ethical judgment when interpreting the rules and determining the public interest. You’ll use case studies and discussion questions to understand how to apply the rules to real ethical dilemmas.

DETAILED LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify the characteristics of ethics and ethical behavior

• Identify the characteristics of professional ethics

• Recognize which Texas CPAs are subject to professional independence

• Recognize specified behavior and its related ethical standards under the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct

• Recognize specified TSBPA rules and their implications to the CPA’s work and work products

• Identify ethical safeguards for CPAs in industry

• Identify circumstances likely to result in a CPA impairing their independence

• Recognize circumstances likely to be in conflict with the Texas rules regarding commissions

• Recognize circumstances likely to be in conflict with the Texas rules regarding contingent fees

• Recognize the circumstances under which a CPA can release client confidential information under Texas rules

• Identify Texas rules regarding the return of original client records

• Identify the implications of an employer-mandated act considered unethical under the Texas rules

• Recognize the permissible methods of advertising under Texas rules

• Identify the reporting ramifications of receiving a conviction for a discreditable act

• Ethics defined
• The relationship between morals and ethics
• Legal vs. ethical behavior
• Ethical core foundations for CPAs
  – Integrity, objectivity and conflicts of interest
  – Independence: risk-based approach, including safeguards and threats to independence
• Ethical reasoning and dilemmas case studies
• Case studies of notable ethical lapses
• TSBPA professional standards
• Responsibilities to clients
  – Receipt of commissions and contingency fees
  – Confidential client communication
  – Records and work papers
• Responsibilities to the public
  – Firm licensing requirements
  – Advertising
  – Firm names
• Responsibilities to the Board/profession
  – Discreditable acts, reportable events
  – Mandatory continuing professional education
• Accountants Confidential Assistance Network