Ethics

Ethics and professional conduct plays an important part in the accountancy profession, ensuring public trust in financial reporting and business practices. On this page you can access a range of articles, books and online resources providing useful links to standards and codes of ethics from major accountancy bodies in the UK and internationally.

What's on this page?

eBooks
Online articles
ICAEW support and guidance
Financial Reporting Council guidance
Guidance from other accountancy bodies
Articles and books from the Library

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eBooks

The Library provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.

Called to account

Describes fourteen financial frauds that have shaped the American accounting profession.

Terms of use: You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

Online articles

The Library provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.

Bad accounting or fraud? Trump's profit numbers don't add up

Financial documents from Trump's trial in New York are now becoming public, including a Deutsche Bank credit report that raises the question of whether the Trump organization might have deceived its lender about the profitability of a golf resort and hotel.

Forensic accounting for restaurants can uncover fraud

Restaurant employees carry out common fraud schemes, including various cash and inventory misappropriation schemes. The article runs through some of these and gives advice on how to prevent potential fraud and uncover financial irregularities.

Fraud brainstorming sessions and interviews in a remote world: Initial evidence

This study provides initial evidence of how the sudden transition to remote work during the pandemic in March 2020 affected auditors' fraud risk assessment processes. The authors explore how auditors performing fraud-related interviews perceive the virtual process in comparison to pre-pandemic processes. The interviews also suggest that the remote environment is enhancing auditors’ personal flexibility but impairing the training of newer auditors.

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ICAEW support and guidance

ICAEW Code of Ethics
An overview and full text of ICAEW Code of Ethics.

Technical resources: Ethics
Information on key topics, guides to resolving ethical problems and helpsheets.

Advisory helplines and services
The helpline advises on ethical dilemmas in both business and practice sectors, including guidance on interpretation and compliance with the ICAEW Members' Handbook. Resources available include:

Financial Reporting Council guidance

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) publishes Standards and guidance for auditors, covering basic principles, procedures and guidance.

We hold a number of articles and books focusing on the ethical standards issued by the former Auditing Practices Board, including previous editions of the standards.

Guidance from other UK accountancy bodies

ACCA

The ACCA Rulebook contains a section covering its Code of Ethics and Conduct, including a guidance on the ethical responsibilities of members in business.

Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI)

The CAI's Charter, Bye-laws, Rules of Professional Conduct and Code of Ethics is available on its website. It also produces a series of technical FAQs on ethics andethics guides.

CIMA

The CIMA website includes an overview and full version of its standards and ethics.

CIPFA

The Conduct and ethics section of the CIPFA website includes information on its Standards of Professional Practice, and Standard of Professional Practice on Ethics.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)

The ICAS Code Of Ethics is available to download in PDF format.

Guidance from international accountancy bodies

International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA)

The IESBA is an independent body, designated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), that develops and sets guidelines and standards.

The 2016 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants and the restructured International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) are available online as well as other IESBA publications and resources.

Accountancy Europe

Accountancy Europe publishes information on developments in ethics and auditor independence through the pages of the Professional Ethics and Competences Working Party, which includes information on worldwide issues in professional ethics along with representations made by Accountancy Europe to international organisations and governments.

Articles and books in the Library collection

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

Can't find what you are looking for?

If you're having trouble finding the information you need, ask the Library & Information Service. Contact us by telephone on +44 (0)20 7920 8620, by web chat or by email at library@icaew.com.

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided ‘as is’ with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.