The Ethics Consultant

Your CPA peer group is a great place to turn when you’re faced with an ethical dilemma – to walk through the facts and circumstances of a situation and sort out the pertinent questions. CPAs may know in their gut what the right answer is, but need to speak with someone to reinforce that answer.

Some CPAs, however – particularly solo financial officers in business or sole practitioners – might lack a ready source for a peer consultation. Or, because of the sensitivity of the issue, they might prefer an anonymous resource.

That’s when the OSCPA’s Ethics Consultant can help. This free member benefit offers peace of mind by providing a select group of CPA volunteers to serve as a sounding board to help a member sort out sticky situations. The volunteers, all senior in experience in the profession, will be matched one-on-one with inquirers to meet via conference call. To preserve anonymity, no names will be shared.

While CPA volunteers are not attorneys and will not be able to provide legal advice, they can help members focus on the significant questions in real-world circumstances. Ethics consultants cannot predict what the Accountancy Board of Ohio or OSCPA Professional Ethics Committee would do, or, if someone is prosecuted what the outcome would be. However, they can help members identify issues for consideration.