There are a lot of reasons people trust tax pros and accountants to manage their tax situations, but probably the biggest one is they need someone they trust who can confidently tackle the complicated details of tax compliance and dealing with the IRS.
But who’s looking out for tax pros and accountants when the IRS makes sudden requirement changes?
See, in 2019, the IRS added a question 11 to the W-12 PTIN application and renewal form, which read:
“As a paid tax return preparer, I am aware of my legal obligation to have a data security plan and to provide data and system security protections for all taxpayer information. Check the box to confirm you are aware of this responsibility.”
An innocuous question? Maybe not.
After investing hours upon hours of research into creating a data security plan for a client, Andrew Lassise, founder and CEO of Tech4Accountants, discovered that this tiny little question had much larger implications. That’s when he knew he and his team could help.
Lassise’s company is one of the leaders in the industry for establishing ACTUALLY IRS-compliant practices and building rock-solid fortresses of optimization and speed in their tech. As Andrew says, they take the “SH” out of IT for accountants and tax professionals.
Listen in as TPM’s Nate Hagerty and Andrew Lassise discuss data security plans, server backups, and the vulnerability of small firms in the hacking world.
And get access to that detailed data security plan template mentioned in the podcast here: Tech4accountants.net/AdvisorProMarketer-wisp
Highlights
- Having Norton is not enough when it comes to protecting your clients’ data – both legally and practically.
- Accountants need a data security plan in place in order to be IRS compliant when re-applying for a PTIN.
- Small firms get hacked as often and sometimes more than larger firms, so implementing a data security plan is a necessity.
- Always have a backup in place for your client data.
Connect with Nate Hagerty
This episode is brought to you by AdvisorProMarketer, a leading marketing agency serving CPA & tax firms. It was established in May of 2007 in response to increased demand for real-world, relationship-building (and profit-producing) marketing tools for use in the advisory industry.
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