that business management is going to be mad at you or fire you if you disagree

with them.
»»Objectivity and independence: When you’re objective, you’re neutral and
unbiased in all decision-making processes. You base your opinions only on
facts and not on any preconceived notions you may have. You interpret rules
and policies, such as GAAP, in a truthful and sincere manner — staying true to
both the form and spirit of the particular principle or regulatory issue.
Accountants who provide auditing and other attestation services must be
independent in both fact and appearance. Being independent means you have
no special relationship to or financial interest with the company that would
cause you to disregard evidence and facts when evaluating the company. For
example, preparing the financial statements for a business owned by a close
relative can justifiably cause those reading your report to doubt your objectivity.
»»Taking due care: In a nutshell, this principle means you have the education
and experience to perform the work at hand. You must be both competent
and diligent. In addition, due care means you plan and supervise adequately
any professional activity for which you’re responsible.
»»Scope and nature of services: All the principles in this list lead up to this final
one. Accountants consider all the preceding principles when determining
whether they can provide specific services in individual circumstances.
For more about these six principles, search online for “aicpa code of professional
conduct.”
If being a member of the AICPA isn’t mandatory in order to get a job as an accountant,
you may wonder why its code of conduct is such a big deal. Well, if you want to
be an accountant practicing as a CPA, you must be licensed by your state, which recognizes
the authority of the AICPA. State and federal courts consistently hold that
all practicing CPAs, regardless of membership in the AICPA, must follow the professional
.ethical standards contained in the AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct