IT for CPA & accounting firms
Tax season is no time for IT problems.
AnchorSix keeps accounting firms in Utah, Arizona and Idaho running through every deadline, and protects client data the way the FTC Safeguards Rule and the IRS expect. When something goes wrong, call any time, 24/7/365, and a real person picks up.
- Average live support answer
- 22 sec
- Support coverage
- 24/7/365
- Technology roadmap + quarterly reviews
- Plan ahead
What we fix
The IT problems accounting firms call us about
Tax software slows down or crashes in March.
We monitor your servers, workstations and hosted apps around the clock and patch outside working hours, so your tax and accounting software stays fast when returns pile up. Upgrades and migrations get scheduled for your slower months, not the week before a deadline.
You need a written security plan, and yours is missing or out of date.
The FTC Safeguards Rule requires tax and accounting firms to maintain a written information security program. We write it with you, put the required controls behind it, and review it with you every year.
Client documents are still going back and forth by email.
We set up and support secure client portals and encrypted email, so tax documents don’t sit unprotected in someone’s inbox and clients can upload without calling you for help.
Phishing emails are getting more convincing.
Firms that hold Social Security numbers and bank details are prime targets. We add email filtering, impersonation protection, MFA and short staff training, so one wrong click doesn’t become a breach notice.
Compliance
What the rules require, and what we do about it
Since 2023, the FTC’s updated Safeguards Rule has spelled out specific security controls for tax preparers and many accounting firms. The IRS points tax professionals to the same requirements.
- FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314)
- A written information security program with a designated Qualified Individual, a written risk assessment, MFA, encryption of customer information, monitoring, staff training, oversight of service providers and an incident response plan.
- Breach reporting to the FTC
- A security event involving the unencrypted information of 500 or more people must be reported to the FTC within 30 days of discovery.
- IRS Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data
- The IRS’s guide for tax professionals on meeting these requirements, including keeping a written information security plan (WISP).
- Cyber-insurance questionnaires
- Insurers increasingly require MFA, endpoint detection and response, and tested backups before they’ll write or renew a policy.
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Your attorney can confirm how these rules apply to your firm.
What AnchorSix handles
- Write and maintain your WISP
- Annual risk assessment, in writing
- MFA on email, remote access and tax software
- Encryption on laptops, email and file storage
- 24/7 monitoring and endpoint detection
- Phishing training and simulated tests for staff
- Incident response plan, and our team on call if it’s needed
- Support for your Qualified Individual, or our vCISO in that role
- Cyber-insurance questionnaires, answered with evidence
Your software
We work with the software you already use
Tax and accounting platforms have their own quirks. We set them up, keep them patched and fast, and call the vendor for you when something breaks.
- CCH Axcess
- CCH ProSystem fx
- UltraTax CS
- Lacerte
- ProConnect
- Drake Tax
- QuickBooks
- SmartVault
- ShareFile
- SafeSend
- Karbon
- Canopy
- Microsoft 365
Practical AI & governance
AI that saves hours, without exposing taxpayer data
AI can draft engagement letters, summarize notices and pull answers from your own files. The risk is staff pasting client data into public tools. We help you get the time savings and keep the Safeguards Rule satisfied.
- Pick approved AI tools that fit the way your firm works
- AI governance built into your WISP: approved tools, data rules and annual review
- Fix file permissions before turning on Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Monitor for and block unapproved AI apps reaching client data
- Train staff with accounting-specific examples
“Client quote from a CPA or accounting firm client goes here.”
Name, title, firm
FAQ
Common questions
Does the FTC Safeguards Rule really apply to my firm?
If you prepare tax returns or provide other financial services to individuals, very likely yes. The FTC treats tax preparers as financial institutions under the rule. Your attorney can confirm how it applies to your firm.
Can AnchorSix be our Qualified Individual?
The rule lets you designate someone at your firm or at a service provider. If you choose a provider, your firm stays responsible for the program and names a senior person to oversee it. We can support your designee or fill the role, and we document whichever you choose.
Will you make changes during tax season?
Only what security requires. We plan upgrades, migrations and hardware refreshes for your slower months, and we agree the calendar with you up front.
Our tax software is hosted. What’s left for you to do?
Everything your team uses to reach it: the laptops and logins, MFA, endpoint protection, email security, the office network, local file backups, and the help desk when someone can’t connect at 8 p.m. on April 14th.
How fast do you answer?
Our support line is staffed 24/7/365, and the average call reaches a real person in 22 seconds.
Other industries
Who else we help
- Law FirmsClient confidentiality, secure remote access to matters, and protection from wire-fraud email.
- Medical PracticesHIPAA security risk assessments, and an EHR that’s monitored and supported during clinic hours.
- Dental PracticesPractice software, imaging and HIPAA security supported by one team, so problems get fixed quickly.
- ManufacturersKeep the floor running: ERP uptime, ransomware recovery and supply-chain security requirements.
- RetailersPoint-of-sale uptime across every location, and PCI compliance without the headache.
- Auto DealershipsFTC Safeguards Rule compliance and a plan for when your DMS goes down.
- Real EstateReduce wire-fraud risk, and keep agents productive from anywhere.
Start with a conversation.
A 15-minute call to understand your current setup, priorities, and whether we’re a good fit.
- Review of your current WISP, or a gap list if you don’t have one
- MFA, encryption and backup check against the Safeguards Rule
- A look at your cyber-insurance questionnaire
- A written summary with fixes in priority order