French chartered accountant code of ethics: complete guide 2026

The French chartered accountant code of ethics is set out in Articles 141 to 169 of Decree No. 2012-432 of 30 March 2012. It establishes five principles: competence, independence, integrity, professional secrecy and loyalty. Compliance is overseen by the Ordre des experts-comptables, and any breach exposes the professional to disciplinary sanctions ranging from a warning to removal from the roll.

Updated April 2026 - The French code of ethics for chartered accountants is not a peripheral document. It is the regulatory foundation governing every aspect of the profession: engagement acceptance, independence, professional secrecy, fee-setting, communication and relations between practitioners. For a business owner, understanding this framework is essential. It determines what your accountant can do, what they must refuse, and the safeguards that protect your interests.

The code of ethics for French chartered accountants is set by Decree No. 2012-432 of 30 March 2012. It imposes five fundamental principles: competence, independence, integrity, professional secrecy and loyalty. This regulatory framework, supervised by the Ordre des experts-comptables (OEC), protects the client by ensuring the professional acts in their exclusive interest, in full confidentiality and with the required technical rigour. Any breach may result in disciplinary sanctions.

The code of ethics for chartered accounting professionals is set out in Articles 141 to 169 (Chapter II) of Decree No. 2012-432 of 30 March 2012. Beware a common confusion: Articles R.822-1 et seq. of the Commercial Code, and its Annex 8-1, cover the ethics of statutory auditors (commissaires aux comptes), not chartered accountants. This code applies to chartered accountants entered on the roll, to accounting firms, to management and accounting associations (AGC) and their branches, to salaried chartered accountants referred to in Articles 83 ter and 83 quater of the 1945 Ordinance, and to trainee chartered accountants. The term "approved accountants" refers to a closed category, with no new entrants since 1968.

This text is not optional. It carries regulatory force. Every professional is bound by it from the moment of registration, and compliance is monitored by regional and national disciplinary chambers of the Ordre.

Legal framework at a glance#

• Ordinance No. 45-2138 of 19 September 1945 (in the wake of the Law of 3 April 1942, which instituted the Ordre): organises the Ordre des experts-comptables and defines the professional monopoly;
• Decree No. 2012-432 of 30 March 2012: sets out the code of ethics proper;
• OEC normative reference framework: specifies professional practice standards;
• Ordinance No. 45-2138 of 19 September 1945 and Decree No. 2012-432 of 30 March 2012: the overarching legislative and regulatory framework of the profession. Articles L.822-1 et seq. of the Commercial Code, often cited by mistake, actually govern statutory auditors.

For related reading, see also Accountant missions and obligations, Accounting missions and How to switch accountants.

The French code of ethics for chartered accountants rests on five pillars that structure the entirety of professional activity.

1. Competence#

A chartered accountant may only accept engagements for which they possess the necessary knowledge and experience. This principle implies an obligation of continuing professional development: every professional must update their knowledge in accounting, tax law, employment law and any area relevant to their practice.

In practical terms, this means a firm that does not master a particular sector (cryptocurrencies, international holding structures, etc.) must either train itself, refer the client to a competent colleague, or decline the engagement.

2. Independence#

Independence is arguably the most sensitive principle of accounting ethics. A chartered accountant cannot accept any engagement that creates a conflict of interest or compromises their professional judgement.

Typical conflict situations include:

• holding significant financial interests in the client;
• simultaneously serving as a director of the client company;
• accepting fees contingent on the outcome of the engagement;
• acting for two parties whose interests are opposed on the same matter.

Independence is not something you simply declare: it is maintained through constant vigilance and, where necessary, through the refusal or termination of an engagement.

3. Integrity and honesty#

This principle requires the chartered accountant to act with integrity in all professional relationships. They cannot participate in fictitious transactions, facilitate fraudulent arrangements or endorse information they know to be inaccurate.

Integrity also applies to the commercial relationship: transparency on fees, absence of misleading practices, and adherence to commitments made in the engagement letter.

4. Professional secrecy#

The professional secrecy of chartered accountants is a matter of public policy and general in scope, but it is not absolute: it carries limited statutory exceptions. It is enshrined in Article 226-13 of the French Penal Code and Article 21 of Ordinance No. 45-2138 of 19 September 1945. Any breach is punishable by one year's imprisonment and a fine of €15,000.

This secrecy covers:

• all accounting, financial and tax information of the client;
• employment and payroll data;
• communications between the client and their firm;
• documents transmitted as part of the engagement.

Professional secrecy yields only to precise statutory exceptions. The main one, specific to the profession, is the suspicious-activity report to TRACFIN under anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing rules (Article L.561-15 of the Monetary and Financial Code), expressly classified as a legal exception to professional secrecy. Secrecy also cannot be invoked against the client themselves, and it persists after the engagement ends.

Hayot Expertise insight: professional secrecy is not a mere confidentiality clause. It is a criminal-law obligation that protects all of your business data. Never hesitate to share sensitive information with your chartered accountant: they are legally bound to keep it.

5. Loyalty and respect for professional dignity#

The chartered accountant must practise with dignity, courtesy and loyalty towards clients, colleagues and third parties. Their communication must remain measured: comparative advertising and unfair practices to attract clientele remain prohibited, even though personalised solicitation is now permitted under conditions (see below).

The five principles and their legal basis#

Representative example (a generic situation, not a real client). A business owner asks their firm to book plainly personal expenses as business costs to cut tax. The principles of independence and integrity require refusal: a chartered accountant cannot endorse information they know to be inaccurate. This refusal is not over-caution, it is an ethical duty, and it also shields the owner from a later tax reassessment.

The ethics of fee-setting is a practical concern for every business owner. The code of ethics precisely governs how fees are determined and communicated.

Applicable rules#

Fees must be:

• freely agreed between the professional and the client;
• proportionate to the service rendered and the work performed;
• transparent: the client must understand what they are paying and why;
• formalised in the engagement letter.

What is prohibited#

The code of ethics expressly forbids:

• pure contingency fees (remuneration exclusively conditional on a result);
• fee-sharing with a non-professional (commercial intermediary, unregulated introducer);
• hidden commissions received from third parties in connection with the engagement.

The prohibition targets fees calculated "on the basis of the financial results obtained by clients" (Article 24 of Ordinance No. 45-2138, restated in Article 158 of Decree No. 2012-432). Remuneration linked to an outcome remains conceivable only for engagements outside the scope of chartered accountancy, and must then be clearly documented.

The engagement letter: a key document#

Under Article 151 of Decree No. 2012-432 (with the OEC professional standard setting out its content), the engagement letter is mandatory. It specifies:

• the object and scope of the engagement;
• the respective responsibilities of the client and the firm;
• the methods for determining fees;
• the conditions for termination.

For the business owner, this document is the first guarantee of clarity. If a firm does not offer you an engagement letter, that is a warning sign.

A chartered accountant has the right to communicate about their activity, but within strict limits defined by the code of ethics.

What is permitted#

• a professional website with objective information;
• publication of articles, newsletters and educational content;
• participation in conferences and professional events;
• presence on social media within a professional context.

What is prohibited#

• any misleading communication or communication likely to mislead the public;
• comparative or disparaging advertising towards colleagues;
• guaranteed outcome promises;
• any communication that undermines the dignity of the profession.

These restrictions may seem constraining, but they protect the client against excessive promises and ensure the relationship is based on genuine competence, not aggressive marketing.

2026 watch points: personalised solicitation is permitted#

Contrary to a still-common belief, canvassing is no longer prohibited in principle. Following the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling of 5 April 2011 (case C-119/09), Decree No. 2014-912 of 18 August 2014 amended Article 152 of Decree No. 2012-432: personalised solicitation and advertising are now permitted, provided they deliver useful information and respect the ethical rules.

The condition remains restraint: decent communication, free of any comparative element, that undermines neither independence, dignity, nor professional secrecy.

The Ordre des experts-comptables (OEC) is the guarantor of compliance with the code of ethics. Structured into regional councils and a national supreme council, it has powers of control and sanction.

The disciplinary chamber#

In the event of a breach of ethical rules, the professional is judged at first instance by the regional disciplinary chamber, then, on appeal, by the national disciplinary chamber, whose decision may be challenged before the Conseil d'État. Possible sanctions are:

1. a warning (avertissement);
2. a reprimand (réprimande);
3. a formal censure recorded in the file (blâme);
4. suspension for a fixed period (with or without reprieve);
5. removal from the roll of the Ordre (a definitive ban on practising, the most serious sanction).

Client recourse#

If a business owner believes their chartered accountant has failed in their ethical obligations, they can:

• refer the matter to the regional council of the Ordre to which the professional belongs;
• bring a civil liability action before the courts;
• report the facts to the disciplinary chamber.

The Ordre plays a mediating role before any litigation, which often enables disputes to be resolved amicably.

The ethics of chartered accountants is not an abstraction. It has very practical consequences on the quality of service you receive.

Guarantees for the business owner#

• Total confidentiality: your financial, tax and employment data are protected by professional secrecy;
• Independence of judgement: your accountant cannot be influenced by outside interests;
• Verified competence: the professional holds a state diploma (DEC) and is subject to continuing education;
• Fee transparency: you know what you are paying for and what service it covers;
• Recourse in case of problems: the Ordre provides a framework for mediation and sanction.

That framework also applies when you change firms: article 163 expressly points to conciliation or arbitration by the Ordre where the fees owed to the predecessor are disputed. The guide to changing accountant quotes the article as currently in force and sets out what the outgoing firm must hand back.

Situations where ethics protect the client#

• a firm that refuses a tax-complacency engagement is acting in accordance with its code;
• a chartered accountant who flags a potential conflict of interest is protecting your interests;
• the relationship between colleagues during a file transfer is regulated to avoid any service disruption;
• professional secrecy prevents disclosure of your information to third parties, including in the context of a business sale.

Hayot Expertise insight: ethics is not an abstract burden. It is what gives value, security and credibility to the engagement. A professional who scrupulously respects their code is a professional you can rely on.

Two substantive guarantees, often overlooked#

• Mandatory professional indemnity insurance (RCP). Every chartered accountant, accounting firm, branch or AGC established in France must be insured (Article 17 of Ordinance No. 45-2138; annual check under Article 135 of Decree No. 2012-432). The minimum cover set by decree cannot be lower than €500,000 per insured party and per claim, and €1,000,000 per insurance year. In practice, a firm's error opens a compensable claim.
• Anti-money-laundering obligations (AML/CFT). The chartered accountant is a regulated professional (Article L.561-2 of the Monetary and Financial Code). They carry out due diligence on your identity and the source of funds, and may be required to file a suspicious-activity report to TRACFIN (Article L.561-15) via the secure ERMES platform. Made in good faith, this report is a legal exception to professional secrecy and exempts the reporting party from liability.

We can explain our scope of intervention, our responsibilities and the way we secure the engagement.

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In 2026, the French code of ethics for chartered accountants remains one of the pillars of trust in the profession. Derived from Decree No. 2012-432 and supervised by the Ordre des experts-comptables, it imposes a rigorous framework that protects both the client and the professional. Independence, professional secrecy, competence, integrity and loyalty are not mere words: they are regulatory obligations that guarantee the quality and reliability of every engagement.

(Official sources: Decree No. 2012-432 of 30 March 2012, code of ethics for chartered accounting professionals, Ordinance of 19 September 1945, Ordre des experts-comptables - Regulation)