Most "Who Do You Trust?" surveys rank politicians, lawyers and used car salesmen at the bottom and certified public accountants at the top. That is because the CPA profession has a squeaky clean image--anal-retentive little wimps who wear thick glasses and cannot get a date. CPAs are known and respected for their honesty. The profession that goes out of its way to project that image, and there is a certain amount of truth to it.

Not all accountants are anal-retentive little wimps who cannot get a date. Many of them are quite articulate. Some are quite lovely. In some schools, more than half of the accounting majors are women. Also, not all CPAs are squeaky clean and respected for their honesty. Some are quite dishonest and are putting a black mark on the image of the entire profession.

There is one area where the CPA profession has fallen short of protecting the public interest. The general duty that accountants owe to their clients and the other persons who are affected by their actions is to

Most states have statues imposing criminal penalties on accountants who willfully falsify financial statements or other reports in fillings under the state securities laws and who willfully violate the state securities laws or aid and abet criminal violations of these laws by others. Accountants have great responsibilities to their clients and to society.

2. Recognize issues in accounting that have ethical implications.

In doing research for this paper, it has helped to open my eyes to the many aspects of this profession. I have realized that it is a very trustworthy profession, held in the highest esteem by the public at large. I know that one must take his/her job and the trust instilled in them very seriously, because each and every day, with each and every client, he/she is representing an entire field of colleagues, whom have to deal with this issue on a regular basis.

As mentioned earlier, is additional education only going to make accountants more proficient at learning techniques to get around laws, perhaps using unethical behaviors? At the same time, will it force extra barriers on many disadvantaged people hoping to make an honest living? This may be only speculation of the possibilities of what may happen, but serious food for thought. What are the consequences of these unethical behaviors? Accountants can be held liable for damages to clients and to third parties, he may also be found criminally liable for violation of securities, tax, and other laws. For criminal violations, he may be fined and imprisoned. Wrongful conduct may also result in the issuance of an injunction, which bars him from doing the same

Some topics in this essay:
Accounting Ethics, Accounts AICPA, Stephen Loeb, Exchange Commission, accounting ethics, sense moral, respected honesty, clients persons, certified public, criminal violations, wrongful conduct, cpa profession, little wimps, ethics instruction,