Feeling Ashamed to be a CPA
After seven years as a CPA, I’ve witnessed many dedicated professionals striving to do the right thing, yet I’ve also come across numerous incompetent individuals who are harassing and dishonest. I’ve seen Big Four partners sign off on financial statements while fully aware of revenue fraud, dismissing the issue simply because it was communicated to a European group auditor who was told, “that’s fine,” by a senior associate.
I’ve reported situations like a startup misclassifying debt proceeds as revenue to achieve “unicorn” status based on inflated figures they presented to Carta. Unfortunately, my report was dismissed because, although I provided my phone number, email, and name, I didn’t include my full home address. This is a prime example of why the enforcement rates for AICPA hotlines remain so discouragingly low—ethics seem to take a back seat in our profession.
The AICPA appears more concerned with selling CPE courses than with genuinely upholding ethical standards. They suggest that a single late tax return or tax payment tarnishes our profession’s reputation, yet they remain silent about the poor quality of CPA exam questions that undermine it as well. In my view, it’s the AICPA itself that is damaging the credibility of the CPA profession.
One response
I’m really sorry to hear about your experiences, and it’s incredibly disheartening to see such a lack of integrity in a profession that should hold itself to the highest ethical standards. It’s frustrating when there are so many dedicated professionals trying to make a positive impact, yet the actions of a few can overshadow that.
It’s alarming that you reported unethical behavior and were met with resistance rather than support. The issues you raised about the AICPA’s focus on certain compliance aspects over actual ethical concerns resonate with many in the field. It seems there’s a significant gap between the ideals of the profession and the reality of some individuals’ practices, which is disillusioning for those who genuinely care about ethics and accountability.
It’s crucial for the profession to hold itself accountable and push for reforms that emphasize integrity and transparency. Your voice is important in this conversation, and sharing these experiences can help shed light on the issues we need to address collectively. Thank you for speaking up about this; it’s essential to keep the dialogue going and advocate for a change that prioritizes ethics and competence.