Hi Andrew,

welcome back to the site and good subject to come back on!

Know the feeling with the ACCA books. Which papers have you been doing?

As you appreciate adhering to the IFAC code of professional ethics is mandatory for people in our line of work but I wonder how many people with some bodies don't even realise that they've signed up to it (or even realise that it exists).

I think one of the main area's where people at this level are making mistakes in relation to ethics is in relation to marketing professional services.

Look at any number of websites and people are in breach of the basics. which of course amongst other things includes.

• Don't make unfounded claims about the superiority of one's own services.
• Don't be disparaiging of the services provided by others.
• Advertise only using media suitable to the status of the profession.

How many bookkeepers would realise that advertising that you are the best bookkeeper in the area on a card in a chipshop window actually breaches the code of ethics!

The site did post asking for any suggestions about future articles and my number one entry was a requirement for an article on Ethics.

As you appreciate, if you don't know your ethical guidance inside out then you cannot pass the exams to become an accountant.

Unless bookkeeping bodies incorporate the same into their qualifications accountants will continue to look down on, and often totally disregard bookkeepers as serious professionals rather than appreciating that at small business level there is little difference between these two legs of the profession.

As you hit upon, members may sign a code of ethics but they didn't have to jump through scenario based questions to determine how they should handle various scenario's.

Hey, maybe we should start our own supervisory body!

I fear however that the syllabus would end up more at ACCA skills level studies (excluding the Law, IT and Audit papers) than at current bookkeeper level studies as to my mind if bookkeepers are to work as accountants then they need to have equivalent skills level knowledge.

Personally I really wish that you could just stop ACCA at that level and be a lower level accountant as the higher level papers can be complete nightmares (I'm thinking of the Beast here (P2)).

I wouldn't of course expect anyone intending to work only in small to medium sized companies in technical roles to go on to papers at the equivalent to the P level nightmares.

Oh no, an idea's started setting in!Half price membership of our new body to anyone who voted for me as bookkeeper of the year (well, there just went my ethics!).

I know some of the guys who set up the BCS (British Computer Society) so figure that it can't be that difficult.

Wonder how long it would be before I could get BPP to pay me £50,000 per annum to be my preferred supplier of study texts! (See PQ Magazine Cash for books article).

Mmm, just what the profession needs, yet another supervisory body

Nice to have you back on board Andrew,

Talk in a bit,

Shaun.