AICPA Compliance for Accountants

CPAs have a bevy of rules and regulations they must follow to keep their clients and themselves safe, one of the most notable being the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct.

Originally named the Code of Professional Ethics, the AICPA organized their Code of Professional Conduct in 1962. The code is regularly updated, the most recent revision being made in 2016.

Depending on the crime committed, penalties for noncompliance can range from having your license revoked to serving jail time.

Rules to Consider

The Code of Professional Conduct is more than 150 pages long, including regulations such as the General and Client Information rules.

• The Client Information Rule: States that a CPA may not divulge a client’s private information without express consent from the client. If an unauthorized data breach occurs, an investigation may ensue as to whether the responsible parties had appropriate processes and procedures to ensure the privacy of client data and whether those procedures were followed.
• The General Rule: States that tax service providers who disclose any client data will be charged with a misdemeanor. Penalties may include a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 1 year, or a combination of the two. Violators may be charged regardless of whether a data breach was intentional.

How Professional Shredding Helps

With a career and license on the line, staying compliant with the Professional Code of Conduct is imperative to businesses and individuals alike. EcoShredding uses professional grade shredders that shred sensitive information so finely that it’s nearly impossible to put back together. We send our mobile shredding trucks to your location and destroy your documents right on sight so you can rest assured the job has been completed.

Once your documents have been shredded, we provide you with an official Certificate of Destruction, so you have proof that you’ve done everything in your power to keep your clients’ information safe.

Remaining compliant with the AICPA’s Professional Code of Conduct is vital for CPAs to protect their business and their clients. Contact us today to learn more about how EcoShredding ensures proper destruction of your private documents.