New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants


 

Complaints and Discipline

 

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand Act 1996 requires the Institute to have Rules and Code of Ethics which regulate members, with the aim of upholding the high degree of responsibility and trust in the accountancy profession.

 

The Institute's Code of Ethics is binding on all of its members. The Code of Ethics sets out the professional and ethical expectations of members and are based on five core fundamental principles. These fundamental principles require that all members must:

 

  • be straightforward, honest and sincere in their approach to professional work
  • be impartial, intellectually honest and free from conflicts of interest
  • have a high standard of competence and that all professional obligations are completed with due care and in a timely manner
  • carry out all work in accordance with the relevant technical and professional standards
  • conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the good reputation of the profession
  • respect their client's confidentiality
  • be independent in the general sense of the word


You have the right to expect these qualities in any Chartered Accountant.

 

The Institute takes any breaches of the Code of Ethics very seriously and has a strict process for dealing with complaints about any members.

 

The Institute's complaints and disciplinary process is mainly concerned with governing its members and the profession. The Institute does not have the powers of a court of law and can therefore not uphold the claims you may be able to make in a court or to provide you with the remedies that a court may be able to provide you.

 

The Institute's jurisdiction is limited to the discipline of its members for any breach of the Institute's Rules or Code of Ethics. In those circumstances where a complainant seeks recovery of monies in dispute or damages, the alternative civil or legal action will need to be pursued separately.

 

Information on making a complaint about a Chartered Accountant is available, along with a complaint form. Also available is the booklet The Complaints Process  which gives some background to the actual complaint process. Please read the information that relates to you carefully.

 

All complaints need to be in writing, addressed to:

 

The Secretary – Professional Conduct Committee
New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
PO Box 11 342
Wellington

 

Phone: +64 4 917 5632 or +64 4 474 7859
Fax: +64 4 472 6282

Disclaimer | © 2007 New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants