Explain how the rules concerning stock ownership apply to partners and professional staff.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

4-1 (OBJECTIVE 4-1) What are the six core ethical values described by the Josephson Institute? What are some other sources of ethical values?

4-2 (OBJECTIVE 4-2) Describe an ethical dilemma. How does a person resolve an ethical dilemma?

4-3 (OBJECTIVE 4-3) Identify some of the most important ways that the profession and society encourage CPAs to conduct themselves at a high level.

4-4 (OBJECTIVE 4-4) What are the three categories of members under the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct?

4-5 (OBJECTIVE 4-4) What organization is responsible for developing ethics standards at the international level? What are the fundamental principles of the international ethics standards?

4-6 (OBJECTIVE 4-5) Why is an auditor’s independence so essential?

4-7 (OBJECTIVE 4-5) Explain how the rules concerning stock ownership apply to partners and professional staff. Give an example of when stock ownership would be prohibited for each.

4-8 (OBJECTIVE 4-5) Describe some of the reasons why there have been calls for mandatory rotation of audit firms. How could an investor of a public company determine how long an audit firm has served as that company’s auditor?

4-9 (OBJECTIVE 4-6) What consulting or nonaudit services are prohibited for auditors of public companies? What other restrictions and requirements apply to auditors when providing nonaudit services to public companies?

4-10 (OBJECTIVE 4-6) Many people believe that a CPA cannot be truly independent when payment of fees is dependent on the management of the client. Explain two approaches that could reduce this appearance of lack of independence.

4-11 (OBJECTIVE 4-7) After accepting an engagement, a CPA discovers that the client’s industry is more technical than she realized and that she is not competent in certain areas of the operation. What are the CPA’s options?

4-12 (OBJECTIVE 4-7) Assume that an auditor makes an agreement with a client that the audit fee will be contingent upon the number of days required to complete the engagement.

Is this a violation of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct? What is the essence of the rule of professional conduct dealing with contingent fees, and what are the reasons for the rule?

4-13 (OBJECTIVE 4-7) Identify and explain factors that should keep the quality of audits high even though advertising and competitive bidding are allowed.

4-14 (OBJECTIVE 4-7) Identify two examples of acts or behavior by CPAs that would be considered acts discreditable to the profession.

4-15 (OBJECTIVE 4-7) What is the purpose of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct restriction on commissions?

4-16 (OBJECTIVE 4-7) State the allowable forms of organization a CPA firm may assume.

4-17 (OBJECTIVE 4-8) What types of disciplinary action may be taken if a member has violated the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct?