Your Tax Office Is a Legal Target. Is Your IT Actually Compliant?
The FTC, the IRS, and the states of Delaware and Pennsylvania all require accounting and tax preparation firms to protect client data with specific, documented IT safeguards — encryption, MFA, a Written Information Security Plan, and more. Most small firms don’t have them. We fix that, done-for-you.
IRS WISP / Pub. 4557
IRC §7216
DE Breach Notification Law
PA BPINA
Serving accounting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation offices across Delaware and the Pennsylvania Philadelphia metro — before deadlines, audits, or breaches force the issue.
If any of this is true, you’re exposed:
Answer honestly — this is what regulators and auditors check first.
- No written WISP on file
- Client SSNs / EFINs stored unencrypted
- No MFA on email or tax software
- No documented data retention or disposal policy
- No incident response plan for a breach
Non-compliance doesn’t stay theoretical for long.
You can lose your e-file privileges
The IRS can suspend a firm’s ability to e-file returns over inadequate data security — during filing season, that’s your business stopped cold.
Breach notification is expensive and public
Delaware and Pennsylvania both require notifying affected clients — and the state Attorney General once 500+ residents are impacted. PA now mandates 12 months of credit monitoring for sensitive data breaches.
FTC enforcement follows real breaches
Firms without a documented, tested Safeguards Rule program face federal exposure the moment an incident happens — not before.
Your malpractice coverage may not apply
Many E&O policies for CPAs and preparers require reasonable IT safeguards to be in place as a condition of coverage.
Clients are starting to ask
Business and high-net-worth clients increasingly ask their accountant directly how their SSN and financials are protected.
It only gets more expensive later
Remediating after an incident costs multiples of what proactive compliance costs — plus the damage to your reputation.
Five things your firm is legally expected to have in place.
This is the short version — enough to know what’s at stake. Getting each of these actually implemented and documented correctly is where firms need a partner, not a checklist.
FTC Safeguards Rule
Written Information Security Plan (WISP)
Every paid tax preparer and accounting firm, regardless of size, must maintain a documented, actively-used WISP naming a Qualified Individual and covering risk assessment, safeguards, and monitoring.
Encryption
Data Encrypted In Transit and At Rest
Client SSNs, EFINs, bank details, and returns must be encrypted everywhere they live or move — email, file storage, backups, and client portals.
Access Control
Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere
MFA is required on email, tax software, and any remote access — not optional, and not “just for admins.”
IRC §7216
Controlled Use & Disclosure of Return Data
Federal law restricts how client tax information can be used, shared, or stored — including with your own software vendors and cloud providers.
Incident Response
A Tested Breach Response Plan
Delaware requires notice within 60 days of discovering a breach; Pennsylvania requires notice plus 12 months of credit monitoring for sensitive data. You need a plan before you need it.
Vendor Management
Documented Oversight of IT & Software Vendors
Regulators hold you accountable for your vendors’ security too — including your current IT provider, if you have one.
We become the IT & compliance department you don’t have to hire.
- ✓
WISP built and kept current
Drafted, implemented, and updated year over year — not a template you file and forget.
- ✓
Encryption & secure client portals
Return files, SSNs, and financials locked down in transit and at rest.
- ✓
MFA rollout across your firm
Email, tax software, remote access — configured and enforced, not just recommended.
- ✓
Staff security training
Short, recurring training your team will actually complete — documented for your file.
- ✓
Incident response on retainer
A plan — and a team — ready before filing season, not after an incident.
- ✓
Ongoing monitoring & annual review
Continuous oversight so you stay compliant as rules and your firm both change.
Built specifically for accounting & tax offices
Not a generic MSP package — a compliance program mapped directly to FTC, IRS, and Delaware/Pennsylvania requirements for firms handling SSNs, EFINs, and financial records.
Flat monthly plans, local support out of Wilmington, DE, and a single point of contact who already speaks your regulatory language.
From exposed to compliant in three steps.
Free Risk Assessment
We review your current systems, storage, and vendors against FTC, IRS, and state requirements — and tell you exactly where you stand.
Remediation
We implement encryption, MFA, your WISP, and training — typically within 2-4 weeks, timed around your filing calendar.
Ongoing Compliance
Monitoring, annual WISP review, and a direct line to your IT team year-round — not just during tax season.
Local. Accountable. Built for regulated small firms.
Based in Wilmington, DE
On-site and remote support across Delaware and the PA Philadelphia metro.
Flat, predictable pricing
No surprise invoices — compliance work is scoped and quoted up front.
One point of contact
No call center. You work with people who know your firm and your obligations.
Fast response
Filing deadlines don’t wait, and neither do we.
Straight answers before you call.
Does my small accounting or tax office really need a WISP?
Yes — the IRS and FTC require it for every paid preparer and accounting firm, regardless of size. A one-person practice has the same obligation as a 50-person firm.
What happens if we’re audited or breached without one?
Exposure to FTC enforcement, potential loss of IRS e-file privileges, state breach-notification liability in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and possible gaps in malpractice coverage.
Do you work with firms in both Delaware and Pennsylvania?
Yes — we’re based in Wilmington, DE and support accounting and tax offices throughout Delaware and the Pennsylvania Philadelphia metro, on-site and remote.
How fast can you get us compliant before tax season?
Most firms complete their assessment and core remediation within 2-4 weeks — we build the timeline around your filing calendar.
Find out where your firm actually stands.
One call, no obligation. We’ll tell you plainly what’s missing and what it takes to fix it — before it’s a regulator or a client asking instead of us.