Ethical Dilemmas Faced By Suzanne Holl - 1244 Words

Suzanne Holl wrote a peer reviewed article titled Ethical Dilemmas Facing CPAs: Three Case Studies (2016) which has been featured in not only the CPA Journal but also cited in many other peer reviewed works. This article, as it’s title suggests, is used to demonstrate various ethical dilemmas that a CPA could face, either naturally or after decisions made with questionable ethics. It can be used to prepare future CPA’s for different scenarios, while simultaneously highlighting the importance of making ethical decisions. There are three different dilemmas highlighted in the article Suzanne Holl wrote. However, for the sake of time only one will be examined. The examined dilemma is about a CPA who is working with a currently divorcing†¦show more content†¦2) is something serious to consider before choosing to remove himself from the service of one of the parties. If the due date is really that close for the clients to turn in their taxes then the CPA is in a hard predicament. â€Å"In a divorce situation (or business partners in litigation with each other), CPAs must treat each spouse equally, regardless of any prior relationships, who has more marital assets, or who is paying the fees.† (Holl, 2016, p. 2) To protect himself the CPA should work with both parties but have them sign a conflict-of-interest consent and require them to sign it. Just as Locke states when there is conflict, â€Å"Peace is the norm, and should be the norm. We can and should live together in peace by refraini ng from molesting each other’s property and persons, and for the most part we do.† (Locke versus Hobbes, n.d.) The CPA should do what is best for both is clients and try to keep the peace between the two. To further demonstrate the necessity for strict ethical codes surrounding common practices of CPA’s, consider the following ethical dilemma. Jeff is a CPA who was recently laid off, and his unemployment is about to run out. He is currently putting two kids through college and needs a steady salary to continue to pay off their student loans while simultaneously making payments on his other assets. Jeff’s brother