The Impact of the Global Pandemic on Ethics, Professionalism, and Judgment in Accounting and Financial Reporting.

The article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ethics, professionalism, and judgment in accounting and financial reporting. It highlights how the pandemic caused disruptions to the global economy and emphasized the importance of adapting to technological solutions and remote work. The article also mentions a Thematic Symposium organized by the Accounting and the Public Interest journal and the University of Waterloo Centre for Accounting Ethics, which aimed to understand the pandemic's influence on stakeholders in the accounting field. Two papers presented at the symposium are discussed, one focusing on the adoption of technology by audit firms and the other examining the relationship between progressive tax rates and income inequality during the pandemic. The findings suggest that audit firms prioritized commercial concerns over professionalism, while states with progressive tax structures saw increased income inequality and higher tax collections. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to address ethical concerns and develop procedures to handle future global shocks. [Extracted from the article]