From Mr Richard Murphy and Mr Dennis Howlett.
Sir, Accountants do need to address the moral maze ("Accountants face up to the moral maze", January 3). Case studies are not the answer, though. Nor is pondering a micro-issue such as counterfeit Harry Potter books.
Accountants need to address their own pressing ethical issues before a study framework on ethics will be seen as relevant. The first issue is: for whose benefit are financial reports prepared? The International Accounting Standards Board assumes that the user is the person who wishes to trade in but not hold the shares of an entity. But is that really all accountancy is about?
The second key question is about how accountants add value. Most in the profession think that is in getting round the rules of taxation. But is such an anti-social activity really what a profession should aspire to? These questions arise out of a shift in thinking about the notion of "stewardship", which should be at the core of accounting.
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