View More
Highlighting The Importance of Cyber Security (Sponsored Content)
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month Throughout this entire year most major headlines have revolved around COVID-19, but have you thought about how COVID-19 is impacting cyber security? With many companies going remote, as well as consumers spending significant time online, cyber criminals are taking advantage. Cyber Security on the Rise According to Fintech News, […]Read more
Protection Plus: Like Equifax, a Data Breach Can Happen
Stolen information? Lost identity? The data breach that hit Equifax is the most recent reminder that a data breach can happen to any company. If you were one of the 145.5 million people who had their personal information compromised in Equifax’s data breach, you are probably in the midst of dealing with chaos and paying for […]Read more
Protection Plus: How to Avoid the Summertime Scams
Summer mode is in full swing and tax season is behind us, but don’t let your guard down. During this time of year scammers are in full force using new, different types of soliciting scams to catch taxpayers off guard. The IRS recently released warning signs to avoid getting caught up in a summertime scam. […]Read more
Protection Plus: 4 Ways to Help Prevent a Data Breach
In addition to preparing your clients taxes, you are also responsible for keeping their private information safe. As a tax professional, you have access to a lot of confidential information that cybercriminals want. Here are some important procedures you can implement to reduce your chances of a data breach. Take precaution: It may seem obvious, […]Read more
Protection Plus: Cyber Liability Information
Cyber criminals are targeting tax professional systems to access taxpayer data. There is much talk addressing consumer concerns, but little is said about protecting the tax professional from the impact of a data breach. A study sponsored by IBM and conducted by the Ponemon Institute released in June 2016 found the average cost of a […]Read more
Protection Plus: PATH Act Effect on EITCs and CTCs
President Obama signed the “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015,” or the PATH Act, on December 18, 2015. It was the most notable tax legislation to be passed by Congress last year, and it will have a great effect on the upcoming tax season. It extended many expiring tax provisions, permanently in some […]Read more
Protection Plus: General Audit Information
Who does the IRS audit? 1. Taxpayers with Suspicious Activity This can include taxpayers who have made mathematical errors on their returns, who claim an unusually high amount of charitable donations, who are self-employed and report too many losses or business expenses, who fail to include part of their income, or who round up a […]Read more
Protection Plus: Add-On Presentation Strategies for the Tax Professional
When a client comes in to do their taxes with you, they are placing their trust in you. Consider this: when you go to doctors, you listen to what they tell you because they know much more about health and the medical field than you do. If your doctors tell you to get an x-ray […]Read more
Protection Plus: Identity Theft Comes in Many Forms
Unfortunately, identity theft comes in many different shapes and sizes. Let’s review the tax-related types of id theft that could impact your clients. IRS identity theft IRS identity theft is when thieves fraudulently file a tax return using someone else’s information early on in the season before the real taxpayer has had a chance to […]Read more
Protection Plus: Learn the Facts about IRS Audits and ID Theft
Learn the facts Reduced staffing and increased automated audits at the IRS (now over five million annually) make anyone susceptible to receiving an inquiry or audit from the IRS. Only 37 percent of the calls made to IRS customer service between January 1 and April 18, 2015, were answered. The average wait time for those […]Read more