CPA professional conduct: Auditor independence — Harmonized Rule of Professional Conduct (Rule 204)

Rule 204 sets out the profession’s standards, ensuring Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) maintain auditor independence during engagements they undertake or participate in. It sets the standards and requirements CPAs must maintain as part of their professional conduct.

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Rule 204 sets out the profession's standards as well as requirements that CPAs must uphold to maintain their independence in any audit and assurance engagement.

Setting of ethics standards

Ethics standards adopted by Canadian provincial bodies are created in alignment with the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants issued by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). 

The Public Trust Committee (PTC) for the profession is empowered to adopt harmonized independence standards for CPAs and ensure these standards are kept up to date. In doing so, the PTC monitors independence standards as they are developed by IESBA.