Table of Contents Introduction: 3 A formal education process: 3 Standards governing admission: 3 Code of ethics: 4 Recognised status as governed by a special designation: 4 Conclusion: 5 Word count: 5 Bibliography 6 Introduction: This essay aims to describe the mechanisms that South African Chartered Accountants utilize to maintain professional status in South Africa. The topic in discussion will be explored partly by the use of the criteria of a profession, as defined by Stewart (1975) and the institutes which enable South African Chartered Accountants to meet them, mainly the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). The following criteria will be discussed: a formal education process, standards governing …show more content…
SAICA is responsible for setting the standards governing admission such as the formal education process stated above (SAICA, 2014). In order to be admitted to SAICA one must complete the required qualifying examinations, which are commonly known as the board examinations as they are set by SAICA (Olivier, 2009). Aspiring professionals are then required to pass these examinations with an average of fifty percent (Olivier, 2009). Once these rigorous examinations have been passed a candidate must complete three years of articles with a registered training office (SAICA, 2014), a articles clerk may write these examinnations whilst they are completing their articles (Olivier, 2009). In addition the South African legal system codifies the standards governing admission in: part 2 (37) (2) (a-e) of the Auditing Profession Act 26 of 2005. This is necessary for SAICA to govern the work and how the work done by their members is completed, this ensures consistency in the work performed by Chartered Accountants in South Africa. The standards that are set by SAICA are there to ensure that only the best candidates can become Chartered Accountants. In order for them to maintain a professional status in South Africa they cannot have any members bringing the profession into disrepute. SAICA is the reason that Chartered …show more content…
SAICA has a long and comprehensive code of ethics which is regularly updated by their own ethics committee (SAICA Ethics Commitee, 2014). Every Chartered Accountant that belongs to SAICA is bound by this code of ethics, it is effective in maintaining the professional status in South Africa because only one body is responsible for the code that all members are bound by. Therefore it creates unity of command within the profession and ensures all members follow this code (SAICA Ethics Commitee, 2014). Chartered Accountants who perform auditing work are also legally bound by the Auditing Profession Act 26 of 2005, if they do not comply with this legislation they may face legal action. This is important as members of this profession have a legal obligation to be professional. The way in which the public may see who is bound by these codes will be explored in the next
The principles of the AICPA Code of Conduct should guide the work that Jose and Emily do as auditors. The principles that specifically apply to this situation are Responsibilities, The Public Interest, and Due Care. CPAs have the responsibility to “exercise sensitive professional and moral judgments in all activities.” (Mintz, p. 19)
In order to ensure an organization’s financial order, auditors with international standards are a vital part. However, very few auditing companies exist in Afghanistan that can provide auditing services in compliance with international accounting standards. Fortunately, ACC is one of those few auditing firms that can confidently say that its auditing services are in the highe...
The stereotypical image correlated to the account mirrors that of a public accountant. An individual working as a public accountant can expect to work as an independent third party to a multitude of companies. As this third party it is their duty to oversee financial transactions to ensure that the statements of not only the company, but also its’ supporting companies, correctly correspond and match up to the position, results and cash-flow of the clientele. This general quota outlining a public accountants job description is not the same for a private accountant. The main difference between a public and private accountant is that unlike the public and its handle on a multitude of accounts, a private accountant specializes with a certain company or field. With this specialization, a private accountant tackles setting up a system that records the transactions within the business. The recordation of the transactions is then generated into statem...
T.A., L. 1996. Richard Brown, Chartered accountant and Christian gentleman. In: Lee, T. eds. 1996. Shaping the Accountancy Profession: The Story of Three Scottish Pioneers. New York, Garland: pp. 153-221.
With every business activity come opportunities for fraudulent behavior which leads to a greater demand for auditors with unscathed ethics. Nowadays, auditors are faced with a multitude of ethical issues, and it is even more problematic when the auditors fail to adhere to the standards of professional conducts as prescribed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The objective of this paper is to analyze the auditors’ compliance with the code of professional conduct in the way it relates to the effectiveness of their audits.
Accounting ethics has been difficult to control as accountants and auditors must keep in mind the interest of the public while that they remain employed by the company they are auditing. The accountants should take into account how to best apply accounting standards when company faces issues related financial loss. The role of accountant is crucial to society. They serve as financial reporters to owe their primary constraint to public interest. The information provided is critical in aiding managers, investors and others in making crucial economic decisions. An accountant is responsible for any fraudulent financial reporting. Some examples of fraudulent reporting are:
Midterm Exam Accounting 598 Part 2 2. What is the difference between a.. A critical component of any accounting theory course is an understanding of the conceptual framework. 2a. What is the difference between a'' and''?
It is highly essential for accountants and business professionals to maintain a standard of ethical conduct in the workplace as the nature of their work places them in position of trust. (Senarante, 2011). Accountants have the responsibility to ensure that their duties are performed in accordance with the five fundamental principles set out in the Code of Professional Ethics such as integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentially and professional behaviour (Cunningham et al. 2014). Accountants are expected to be reliable and trustworthy. Thus they are required to act ethically in relation to their clients, employers and the general public in order to provide quality services in the best interest of the society (Eginiwin & Dike, 2014). The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) have established a code of ethics for accountants, allowing each specific country to add their own national ethical standards to the code to reflect cultural differences. The code provides emphasis on the five fundamental principles as well as resolution of ethical conflicts. In Australia, professional accounting bodies such as CPA Australia, Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICCA) and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) adopt the Australian Professional and Ethical
The aim of this paper is to provide the framework of the current professional accounting code of ethics. What are the ethics and how we define them? In this report we try to determine the main ethical principles that will establish the right and
While the rest of us have been busy coming up with jokes about how boring accountants can be, the world has changed. From a look at “Gaebler.com”, the author is speaking directly to entrepreneurs for sma...
Accounting has been a living part of history since the Neolithic period and remains a prevalent and ever-evolving profession still to this day. This essay therefore proposes to look at the significance and role of history specifically related to the accountancy field. In order to substantiate this claim of the importance of accounting history, numerous benefits of accounting history will be presented. Factors such as the use of historical research and its availability thereof to constantly develop accounting policies will be discussed as well as how historical accounting practices can be used to understand current practice and assist in the training of individuals in the accounting field. Lastly, the importance of history in the development
In 1887, the American Association of Public Accountants was formed with the first standardized tests coming out about a decade later (Zeff, 2003, pg. 2). In 1896, New York State passed the first law for Certified Public Accountants (CPA), which Zeff (2003) “marked the beginning of an accredited profession of accounting in the United States” (pg 2). In Canada, the first association began in 1902 with the Dominion Association of Chartered Accountants (Buckstein, part 1 pg 2). Buckstein quoted John L. Carey, the author of a paper outlining the history of the accounting profession worldwide stated “the reason for creating a full-fledged professional organization was to distinguish skilled accountants of integrity from self-styled accountants whose competence had not been demonstrated” (pg. 2) As Zeff (2003) stated with the passage of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 all publicly traded companies were now required to have their financials audited by independent CPA’s (pg. 4). This showcased the importance of having skilled and knowledgeable individuals produce verifiable and accurate information that the public (in all its forms) could rely upon. The combination of having professional accounting bodies and government legislations have attempted to establish
As per ISA (NZ) 200-A17, this ethical requirement includes the auditors integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality, & professional behaviour. Integrity is an ethical attitude which includes the auditor’s honesty, accuracy, and fair practice. Objectivity is a mental attitude while carrying out the audit wherein the auditor is fair and just with all his/her work. Professional competence is the knowledge and skill of the auditor, gained through education, training and experience, while due care is a degree of care of an auditor on certain situations wherein an he/she must act diligently. Confidentiality is the commitment of the auditor not to disclose any information regarding his/her client, unless required by law. Professional behaviour means the auditor must act in accordance to the law and set of standard as a manifestation of respect to the
Change is inevitable. Yogi Berra once said “The future ain’t what it used to be.” It is clear that the future of the accounting profession ain’t what it used to be (Gormon and Hargadon 1). The changes occurring are happening fast, they are dynamic and they are completely and undeniably real. Since the world around the accountant is changing, the accountant has no option but to change as well. The field of accounting has always been one to know change and to know adjustment, but within the recent past and certainly within the next few decades, the changes that are occurring and will occur absolutely are the most dramatic and exponential yet. Obvious changes lie in the expanding scope of services performed by accountants, the increased use of
Accounting is a very important term to our modern society. It is the career for men and women who at the start have their eyes set on top positions in industry, management, government, and general business. Accounting is a basic need of every businessman, from the operator of a filling station to the government of the United States. It's so important to our society. None of the business organization can operate without is. They are there-somewhere-in every business. In small business, people use pen, ink and skill keep the records. In large business, modern accounting machines are used to operate. Men and women are directing these machines in the accounting process. Wise businessmen enter business must have some accounting knowledge.