You can serve brothels, cannabis firms, and poker pros—just don’t cross the legal line.
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Accounting ARC
With Liz Mason and Byron Patrick
Center for Accounting Transformation
Accountants are often seen as the gatekeepers of financial integrity, but what happens when the client operates a strip club, sells cannabis, or works in legal sex work?
In the latest episode of Accounting ARC, Liz Mason, CPA, and Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA, challenge the idea that “sin” industries are off-limits for ethical professionals. Their message: legality, transparency, and harm reduction matter more than personal judgment.
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Mason, founder and CEO of High Rock Accounting, has worked with legal sex workers and cannabis companies. She says she doesn’t shy away from these clients. “All companies have a right to good advice,” she says, stressing that ethical boundaries depend more on legality and transparency than personal judgment.
Patrick, CEO of VERIFYiQ and educator and co-founder of TB Academy, echoes the sentiment. “Is it legal, or is it not?” he asks. “That’s a pretty clear ethical line.”
But not all ethical questions are so simple. Mason shares a cautionary tale about walking away from a FinTech client offering predatory lease agreements. “It was all legal,” she says. “But it was abusive. And that crossed a line for me.”
Both hosts emphasize the importance of distinguishing between ethical obligations and personal values. “Just because your church wouldn’t approve doesn’t mean it’s unethical,” Patrick says. “Your values may guide your choices, but ethics guide your license.”
They also address side hustles. From poker tournaments to undisclosed second jobs, ethical pitfalls abound when CPAs hide activities from employers or let personal behavior influence professional duties.
As firms continue to navigate these gray areas, Mason encourages transparency and clear policies. “If you’re questioning whether something is ethical,” she advises, “talk it out. Ethics should never be a solo decision.”
8 Key Takeaways
- Legality is the first ethical filter for CPAs.
- Predatory but legal practices can still be ethically wrong.
- Sin industries often require more transparency, not less.
- Working in controversial sectors can be reputationally neutral—or even positive.
- Disclosure is key for side hustles and dual employment.
- Gambling, cannabis, and adult work are not inherently unethical.
- Unethical behavior often comes from hiding, not the activity itself.
- CPAs have the power to legitimize and elevate fringe industries through ethical service.