Ethics

PEEC issued an exposure draft of a new ethics interpretation under Rule 101, Independence (AICPA, Professional Standards, volume 2, ET section 101.01) ( www.aicpa.org/members/div/ethics/ethics ). The proposed interpretation defines the terms financial interest , direct financial interest and indirect financial interest and provides guidance on their practical application. Comments are due June 17, 2005.

ETHICS RULINGS TAKE EFFECT SOON
The AICPA Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) in 2004 adopted three ethics rulings—two new and one revised—that address members’ responsibilities when outsourcing services to third-party service providers. They are effective for all professional services rendered on or after July 1, 2005, except for those performed pursuant to agreements in existence on June 30, 2005, and completed by December 31, 2005. The standards are available at www.aicpa.org/download/ethics/2004_1028_outsourcing.pdf .