Our Code of Ethics

The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to act as a guide for our business to operate in a professional, ethical manner at Browne Tax & Advisory SPC . It recognizes our responsibilities to act intelligently, ethically, and sustainably within the organization and provides a framework for how we connect with our clients, partners, friends, and the world at large.

Our Purpose & Values

Our mission is to participate in drastically shifting the way we do business by working as a worldwide community to lessen our impact on the earth and its inhabitants. Where we consider our actions before we produce more. Where we think of environmental damage before profit. Where we consider the communities directly affected by our actions, knowing the mark we will permanently leave after we’ve come and gone.

As a Certified B Corporation, we are a part of a community of businesses meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive, regenerative, and equitable economy.

Environmental Impact & Community

At Browne Tax & Advisory SPC we have committed 2% of annual sales to charitable causes. We are business members of 1% for the Planet and The Conservation Alliance. Our commitment at 1% for the Planet means we donate the equivalent of 1% of sales through monetary or in-kind donations to grassroots organizations. With The Conservation Alliance we are an integral part of helping protect the wild spaces we love by investing in and voting for some of the most compelling conservation projects in North America. In addition to our memberships, we have donated to the organizations below. Through these donations we wish to become representatives of the idea that there can be, and should be, a humanistic side to business benefiting many, including the planet. For the recipients of these donations, we seek to encourage their work and support underserved populations, wildlife, and the environment.

As a firm, we strive to have minimal impact on our environment and achieve carbon neutrality.  By operating as a virtual firm, we eliminate unnecessary commuting to/from an office for both employees and clients, minimize our use of paper where possible,  and utilize vendors who exhibit these same values. We also calculate both scope 1 and 2 emissions (in tons of carbon dioxide) for all business activities with our main carbon generating activities being: office use and the related utilities, commuting to/from co-working spaces, and any business related travel. We offset by purchasing strictly GHG Certified carbon credits annually.

In addition, we encourage our employees to take time to volunteer each year and be active, engaged members of civil society, our leadership too.

Employees

Without our employees Browne Tax & Advisory SPC is a few computers, desks, and ones and zeroes on servers.  We seek to lift up our employees by nurturing their talent, happiness, professional development, and skills through ongoing development, benefits, and flexible working policies. Simply put, we put our people before profits.

We strive to honor the diversity of our staff and to promote their ideas, work, and aspirations through an open and non-hierarchical feedback process. All employees have access to a regularly updated employee handbook that provides details about benefits, volunteering and other work-related information. Discrimination, of any kind, is not consistent with our mission and values, and it will not be tolerated.

Professional Conduct

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants  has built a foundation for professional conduct in since 1887. As members of the organization, Browne Tax & Advisory SPC upholds the AICPA’s publicly available Code of Professional Conduct. This document includes a number of core ethical provisions that form the bedrock of our services and practices at Browne Tax & Advisory SPC. 

As a condition of employment, employees of Browne Tax & Advisory SPC must be familiar with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and conduct themselves in accordance with it.

Clients

Our clients exchange their financial and confidential information in order for us to provide our services. In this way, they trust Browne Tax & Advisory SPC to be honest and clear in our communications as well as how that data is stored and used. Most importantly, they trust that the work that Browne Tax & Advisory SPC delivers also matches or exceeds their requirements, and that we provide products and services on time and in a professional manner.

We expect that all employees will treat clients courteously and kindly. And, when issues do arise, we expect these to be addressed fairly and appropriately. We believe in fair pricing and in honoring agreements in good faith. We will do our best to send timely invoices and we expect to be paid by clients in a timely manner as well.

Stakeholders

As a privately held company with no outside source of funding, we hope that employees, partners and colleagues will treat our collective time, technology and financial resources with respect and with care. This protects the large investment that Browne Tax & Advisory SPC, its partners, and clients have made in the company.

Suppliers

We rely upon what few vendors we have to provide the highest quality products and services available. These include, but are not limited to, website hosting, printing, telephony, software, and connectivity. We believe in the prompt settlement of bills to Browne Tax & Advisory SPC and a quick resolution to any disputes with suppliers. All things being equal, including quality of services provided and cost, we reserve the right to choose vendors, suppliers, and other partners that are owned by women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented groups. We will always prefer working with conscientious companies, social enterprises, mission-driven companies, and not only for-profit organizations.

Forced & Child Labor

For our suppliers and Browne Tax & Advisory SPC, there shall not be any use of forced labor, whether in the form of prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or otherwise. Suppliers shall employ only workers who meet the applicable minimum legal age requirement or are at least 15 years of age, whichever is greater. 

Review & Accessibility

We will review this code of ethics annually to ensure that it reflects our values, our communications and our actions. This code of ethics will be posted publicly online with the hope that it might act as a model for other accounting and professional service firms.

Feedback

The only way to know if Browne Tax & Advisory SPC  is upholding this code of ethics, is if employees, clients, colleagues, partners, and others let us know. As a values-driven organization striving to continually improve, we invite this feedback and accountability.

Email: hello@brownetax.com | Phone: 206-331-4585 | Mail: 1037 NE 65th Street #80493, Seattle, WA 98115