Ethics has long been considered a cornerstone of the accounting profession. But just how new accountants are to be trained in ethics and how ethical behavior is to be enforced in practice are difficult questions that continue to vex regulators and professional thought leaders. This issue features several articles that look at the intersection of ethics and educational requirements for licensure, SEC and PCAOB enforcement, and fraud detection more broadly.

This issue also marks our annual focus on the not-for-profit and government fields. While there are obviously many important differences between not-profits and commercial enterprises, both have been irrevocably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and attendant disruptions to regular operations. One article looks at the special challenges presented by remote audits of not-for-profit organizations. Another looks at how the “Great Resignation” has affected the not-for-profit sector and how organizations can adapt.

Finally, government accounting topics are also covered in these pages. One department article looks at the confusion surrounding which sets of government accounting and auditing standards need to be applied by which entities under which circumstances. Another article reviews the recently issued guidance related to government audits and federal COVID-19 recovery funds.