Independence generally implies a CPA’s ability to act with integrity and exercise objectivity and professional skepticism. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and other rule-making bodies have developed rules that establish and interpret independence requirements for the accounting profession.

This course discusses the independence requirements of the principal rule-making bodies that public accountants may have to comply with, using plain English instead of technical jargon to help you understand exactly what the requirements are.   

Course Series

This course is included in the following series:

6 CoursesAn Auditor's Perspective on...

  1. Preparing Financial Statements - An Auditor’s Perspective on What Matters Most
  2. Independence Rules for CPA’s - An Auditor’s Perspective on Significant AICPA, Public Company, Governmental, and International Differences
  3. Designing and Performing Sampling Plans – An Auditor’s Perspective on Monitoring Internal Controls, Compliance, and the Reasonableness of Account Balances
  4. FASB ASC Section 205-40: Going Concern Uncertainty – An Auditor’s Perspective
  5. FASB ASC Topic 470: Debt – An Auditor’s Perspective on Common Balance Sheet Classification Issues
  6. FASB ASC Topic 820 Fair Value – An Auditor’s Perspective on Determining Fair Value of Non-Readily Marketable Investments
Learning Objectives
  • Discover the importance of the requirement for CPA’s to preserve independence in order to perform audit and attest services
  • "Identify the most common significant independence threats, and recognize how rules differ among various standard setting and regulatory bodies
  • Explore how reporting entities and external accountants must work together to safeguard against threats to independence in both fact and in appearance 
Last updated/reviewed: March 9, 2024
21 Reviews (77 ratings)

Reviews

5
Anonymous Author
This course was easy to navigate. The information was easy to absorb and laid out in such a way that anyone with any background in accounting would be able to comprehend it. I will certainly be taking ore courses through this program.

5
Anonymous Author
Easy to study and follow course, review material and option to follow by section was very helpful. Overall great course not to difficult to due while in the Business Ethics for Accounts course at the same time.

5
Member's Profile
The messages were clear in the videos. It was easy to understand what was being taught. I also thought that the quiz was helpful to calm me down before the exam at the end.

5
Member's Profile
Great refresher course! The instructor is very knowledgeable and communicates effectively by providing both information regarding the rules and with specific examples.

3
Anonymous Author
I liked the powerpoint that went along with the course. It was easy to follow as well. I did not like that some of the details were not included in the powerpoint.

4
Anonymous Author
Overall good course. At times, I second guessed the quiz because all the options seemed appropriate, but after further analysis recognize the difference.

5
Anonymous Author
The learning objectives were met in a timely manner. The instructor was informative and gave great examples that made the material easier to follow.

5
Member's Profile
Simple to follow! The use of videos makes the training much more engaging. I really appreciated the variety of alternatives it provided. Awesome!!!

3
Anonymous Author
Training had a lot of material to cover, but time was perfect. It kept my focus as each material was not long and did not waver.

5
Anonymous Author
Easy to follow! The videos are a great way to keep the course interactive. I also liked al the options it offered. Thank you!

5
Anonymous Author
The lady in the video was easy to listen to. I appreciated having the power point slides to reference later.

4
Anonymous Author
Explanations provided and examples on the different independence issues were adequately explained.

4
Anonymous Author
Moves at a slow pace but provides an excellent discussion of independence considerations.

4
Anonymous Author
The videos were a great tool in keeping me engaged; instead of, reading a long pdf file.

5
Member's Profile
The real-life examples provided that may impair a CPA's independence were helpful.

5
Anonymous Author
Well Done. I loved all of your videos as they were very informative and direct.

5
Member's Profile
Great program, easy to understand, and videos were at a good pace to follow.

4
Anonymous Author
The course covers the critical points of auditor independence.

5
Anonymous Author
These courses has really strengthened my ability of ethics

4
Member's Profile
It was too long. And not clear on some of the points.

5
Member's Profile
Very thorough and clear.

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate

No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course. 

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Course Questions and Answers1 Question
Member's Profile

Simple to follow! The use of videos makes the training much more engaging. I really appreciated the variety of alternatives it provided. Awesome!!!

Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW
  Introduction to Independence Rules for CPA's1:41
  Relevant Standard Setting and Regulatory Bodies 9:14
  AICPA Conceptual Framework 7:15
Threats
  Familiarity Threat 12:25
  Financial Self-Interest Threat 6:46
  Self-Review and Management Participation Threats 8:26
  Specific Services which can not be Safeguarded for Independence Threats 3:51
  Other Threats to Independence 5:00
AICPA
  AICPA VS. SEC Independence Rules 3:45
  AICPA VS. Government Audit Independence Rules 4:00
Continuous Play
  Independence Rules for CPA’s1:02:24
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Independence Rules for CPA’sPDF
  Independence Rules for CPA’s Glossary/IndexPDF
REVIEW and TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam