Guides

Plain-English explanations for accounting and tax firms.

• The FTC Safeguards Rule for Accounting and Tax Firms: A Complete Plain-English Guide

  What the FTC Safeguards Rule is, why it applies to accountants and tax preparers, the nine required elements, the small-firm exemption, and how to know where your firm stands.

  9 min read · 6 FAQs

• The WISP Requirement for Tax Preparers: Who Is Covered and What Goes In It

  The IRS requires paid tax preparers to keep a Written Information Security Plan. Who must have one, what IRS Publication 5708 requires, and how to build yours.

  8 min read · 6 FAQs

• Multi-Factor Authentication and the 2024 Update Every Tax Firm Should Know

  The 2024 IRS update made MFA effectively universal for tax firms and revised password standards. What MFA is, where to apply it, and how to roll it out.

  6 min read · 5 FAQs

• What Non-Compliance Costs: Penalties, Breach Reporting, and PTIN Exposure

  Civil penalties up to $53,088 per violation, a 30-day FTC breach-reporting duty, and PTIN and e-file exposure. The real cost of ignoring the Safeguards Rule.

  7 min read · 5 FAQs

• Safeguards Rule Timeline and Deadlines: What to Do and When

  The Rule is already in force. Here are the key dates, how compliance lines up with filing season and PTIN renewal, and a simple 30/60/90-day action plan.

  6 min read · 4 FAQs

• Does the FTC Safeguards Rule Apply to Your Firm? Who Has to Comply

  The Safeguards Rule covers far more than banks. Here is the plain-English test for whether your accounting or tax firm has to comply, and the excuses that do not get you out of it.

  7 min read · 6 FAQs

• Why Cybersecurity Matters for Accounting and Tax Firms

  Accounting firms are prime targets, and a breach costs far more than a fine. The business case for getting compliant, beyond the letter of the Rule.

  7 min read · 5 FAQs