Good IT support for an accounting firm in Bergen County does three things: it protects the client tax and bank data you hold, it helps you meet the written security plan the IRS and FTC expect from tax professionals, and it keeps your tax software, email and files working when deadlines pile up. For a small firm in Hackensack, Paramus or Ridgewood, that usually means multi-factor sign-in, tested backups, a help desk that knows your software, and a plan that’s written down.
Why do accounting firms need different IT support?
Most small offices worry about email and printers. Accounting firms have those problems too, plus a few that raise the stakes:
- You hold exactly what thieves want. Tax returns, Social Security numbers, bank account details and payroll records are all in one place.
- Your busiest weeks are your riskiest. A rushed staff is easier to fool with a fake email, and a frozen computer in early April costs more than one in July.
- The rules apply to small firms, too. The IRS says that under the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the FTC Safeguards Rule, tax and accounting professionals are treated as financial institutions “regardless of size” (IRS Publication 5708).
- Everything runs through a few key apps. Tax prep software, a client portal, Excel and Outlook. When one of them breaks, work stops.
What does the IRS expect from a small accounting firm?
You don’t have to guess. The IRS publishes two plain guides for tax professionals, and both are worth an hour of a partner’s time.
IRS Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, says protecting taxpayer data “is the law” and that, under the FTC Safeguards Rule, tax return preparers must create and enact security plans to protect client data. Its basic steps include:
- Security software on every device, set to update automatically
- Multi-factor sign-in for anyone accessing client information
- Encrypting sensitive files and emails
- Backing up sensitive data to a secure source that isn’t connected to the network full time
- Wiping or destroying old hard drives and printers that held client data
IRS Publication 5708 walks through writing that security plan, called a WISP (written information security plan), and includes a sample template. It lists what the FTC requires of each firm, including naming a qualified person to coordinate security, assessing risks, using multi-factor sign-in, choosing service providers that keep proper safeguards, and reporting a security event affecting 500 or more people to the FTC within 30 days of discovery.
We’re not your compliance advisor, and your professional liability carrier or attorney should weigh in on what applies to your firm. But most of what these guides ask for is technical work an IT team can set up and document for you.
What should IT support for an accounting firm include?
Here’s what we’d want in place for a typical five-to-fifteen-person firm in Bergen County.
| What you need | Why it matters for an accounting firm |
|---|---|
| Multi-factor sign-in on email, the client portal and remote access | A stolen password alone shouldn’t open client files |
| Email filtering and short staff training | The IRS warns about phishing emails posing as the IRS or a tax software provider |
| Monitoring and patching on every computer | Updates happen on schedule, not in the middle of a deadline |
| Backups with restore testing | You know you can get last week’s returns back, because someone tried |
| Microsoft 365 set up properly | Shared calendars, secure file sharing and the right licenses for each person |
| A help desk that handles your tax and accounting software | One number to call, even when the problem belongs to the software vendor |
| Written documentation | Your WISP and your insurer’s questionnaire both need it |
For more on the security basics, see our cybersecurity checklist for Bergen County small businesses.
What can your firm do this week?
You don’t need a big project to make progress before tax season. Start here:
- Turn on multi-factor sign-in for email first. Then do the same for your tax software and client portal if they offer it.
- Check your backups by restoring one file. Pick a client folder from last month and see if you can actually get it back.
- Download Publication 5708 and fill in the easy parts. Name your qualified person, list your computers, and note who can access client data. That’s a real start on your WISP.
- Make a list of every place client data lives. Laptops, the server, Microsoft 365, the portal, a scanner that saves to a shared folder, and anyone’s personal email.
- Retire old equipment the right way. Old computers and copiers in a back closet may still hold client files.
How should a Bergen County firm plan IT work around tax season?
Whether your office is in Englewood, Mahwah, Montvale, Fair Lawn or Ramsey, the calendar works the same way. From January through the April filing deadline, there’s little room for a server swap, a new phone system or a move to different software. Schedule upgrades and replacements for late spring or summer, once returns are filed, and leave the October extension crunch alone too. That way nobody on staff is learning a new screen during the busiest weeks. If you’d like help getting your office ready before January, call us at (845) 747-5803. Once you’re set up, your staff can reach our help desk from 8am to 6pm.
How does BizTechPro help accounting firms in Bergen County?
BizTechPro has supported small businesses since 2008 and is based in Pearl River, NY. We work with professional offices across Bergen County, including Hackensack, Paramus, Ridgewood, Teaneck and Fort Lee. Most support is handled remotely, with site visits, when needed.
For an accounting firm, that means:
- A help desk your staff can call at (845) 634-2100, staffed 8am to 6pm, by people who keep notes on your setup. When the problem is with your accounting or tax software, we open the case with the vendor so your staff don’t have to.
- Cybersecurity including multi-factor sign-in, email filtering, endpoint protection and short staff training.
- Backups with restore testing, so you know your client files can come back.
- Microsoft 365 administration. We’re a Microsoft Partner, and we set up licenses, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive the right way.
- Documentation of what’s in place, so you can answer an insurer’s questionnaire, and fill in the technical parts of your WISP, without guessing.
Pricing for managed IT is a flat rate per user each month, and we confirm what’s covered before you commit. You can learn more on our small business IT page and our Bergen County page. If you’re comparing providers, our guide on how to choose an IT company in Bergen County has questions worth asking anyone, including us.
Frequently asked questions
Do small accounting firms really need a written security plan?
According to the IRS, yes. IRS Publication 5708 says tax and accounting professionals are treated as financial institutions under the FTC Safeguards Rule regardless of size, and that the rule requires a written information security plan.
What is a WISP?
A WISP is a written information security plan. It describes who is responsible for security at your firm, what risks you face, and the safeguards you use to protect client data. The IRS offers a free sample template in Publication 5708.
Can an IT company write our WISP for us?
An IT company can handle and document the technical parts, like multi-factor sign-in, backups, encryption and your list of equipment. The plan itself belongs to your firm, so a partner or the person you name as your qualified individual should own it and review it.
What’s the first security step an accounting firm should take?
Turn on multi-factor sign-in, starting with email. The IRS lists it among the basic steps every tax professional should take, and it means a stolen password alone isn’t enough to get into your account.
Can you help when our tax software stops working?
Yes. Our help desk troubleshoots accounting and other line-of-business software. When the issue sits with the software vendor, we open the case and work it with them so your staff can keep working.
Do you support accounting firms across Bergen County?
Yes. BizTechPro works with professional offices throughout Bergen County, including Hackensack, Paramus, Ridgewood, Teaneck and Fort Lee. Most support happens remotely, with site visits, when needed.
Get your firm ready before tax season
If your firm’s security plan is still on the to-do list, or your busy season depends on one aging computer, let’s talk before the rush starts. Call our sales line at (845) 747-5803 or send us a message, and we’ll review what you have and tell you plainly what to fix first.