Which of the following is NOT one of the five fundamental principles?

The five fundamental principles of accountancy, as established by professional bodies such as the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), include integrity, professional behavior, confidentiality, and several others. These principles serve as a foundation for ethical practices within the profession.

The principle of integrity emphasizes the importance of being straightforward and honest in all professional and business relationships. Professional behavior requires accountants to comply with relevant laws and regulations and avoid actions that may discredit the profession. Confidentiality stresses the responsibility to maintain the privacy of information acquired during professional work.

Empathy, although a valuable interpersonal quality in various contexts, is not recognized as one of the fundamental principles guiding the ethical conduct of accountants. This distinction highlights the focus on integrity and professional standards rather than emotional or subjective qualities. As such, identifying empathy as not part of the five fundamental principles is accurate, as it does not fall within the framework designed to govern ethical conduct in the accounting profession.