Professional Standards and Responsibilities

Ohio CPA Professional Standards and Responsibilities 

This course is an interactive review of the expectations of CPAs and the CPA licensing and ethics and independence rules that apply to Ohio CPAs. We will look at the concept of ethics, ethical drift and, ethical decision-making process. Case studies are used to illustrate specific challenges that Ohio CPAs encounter as they deliver public accounting services or perform financial functions within various business and industry roles. Participants will also receive a refresher on relevant sections of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) and examine practical applications of these codes in our modern environment. Participant materials will aid learners in identifying aspects of the code that may require their additional focus and emphasis on a go-forward basis.   

This course satisfies the Accountancy Board of Ohio’s three credit hour professional standards requirement as part of the 120 credits that CPAs must obtain each reporting period. It also satisfies the Accountancy Board of Ohio’s requirement to become a CPA.

Professional Standards and Responsibilities – Conduct Beyond Reproach

Trusted Finance professionals must be able to identify, evaluate and address any action or situation that threatens the core values of the profession: integrity, objectivity, and due care. However, when it comes to making the best decision, there’s not always one perfectly right answer for every situation. Professional ethics is about looking at several solutions and choosing the best path.

This course will help you gain perspective on the importance of applying an ethical decision making framework to issues facing finance professionals on a daily basis.

We will look at the concept of ethics, ethical drift, ethical decision-making process, and the relationship between ethics and risk management. Case studies are used to illustrate specific challenges encountered as professionals perform financial functions within various business and industry roles. Participant materials will aid learners in identifying aspects of ethical consideration which may require their additional focus and emphasis on a go-forward basis.

Beyond the Code: Ethics in the Real World

This innovative and interactive presentation taps the fields of neuroscience, psychology and even biology to understand the point where science, emotion, and critical thinking interact. Instead of critiquing how our minds are supposed to work, we will delve inside the fascinating world of how our minds actually work when we face difficult dilemmas with competing goals. The audience will experience startling, interactive experiments that reveal how we miss the obvious and how our minds conjure up false perceptions out of thin air. We will review why outdated ethical models centered around rule-based codes have failed and what research indicates does improve individual and organizational ethical reasoning.

The major subjects in this course include why model codes of ethics fail, the science behind organizations “Ethical DNA”, understanding the psychology behind “Tone at the Top”, the interaction between critical thinking and ethics, breaking myths about motivation related to decision making, ethical decision-making under pressure, and whether ethics and morals are “fixed” or able to be improved.

Ethics in Ohio Tax Practice

To be a good tax practitioner you must know the tax laws, perform due diligence, and know when and how to ask for assistance. You must not risk our credibility, character, or mora obligations for a client. You must be willing to lose a client to do the right thing. Sounds easy, but with the complexity of the tax law, a well-defined process for how you research, interpret, and communicate the law is necessary.

In this tax ethics course, you will learn how to provide quality tax services with proper documentation and appropriate client communication and avoid exposure to ethical complaints and disciplinary action. In addition, this course covers the Ohio Statutes governing the practice of public accounting and Board of Accountancy rules governing the conduct of CPAs performing tax services in Ohio. You will also discuss Treasury Circular 230 and recent court decisions limiting IRS authority, and review professional standards pertaining to members of the AICPA.