Deadline seasons
March 15, April 15, September 15 and October 15 bring the heaviest load. A slow server or broken tax application in those weeks costs hours you cannot bill back.
Accounting and finance IT
IT services for Phoenix accounting and finance firms
A tax application that stalls the week of October 15 puts every return behind. We support CPA firms, bookkeepers and finance teams in Phoenix and the East Valley, keep tax software, QuickBooks and Sage running, and put in the controls the FTC Safeguards Rule expects. The help desk answers 24/7.
What accounting firms need from IT
Tax and accounting software
UltraTax CS, Lacerte, ProSeries, Drake, CCH Axcess and QuickBooks Desktop each have their own updates, licensing and data paths. Updates need testing before the season.
Rules that apply to you
The FTC Safeguards Rule treats tax preparers as financial institutions. It requires a written information security program, MFA and encryption, and FTC notice of breaches that affect 500 or more people.
Payment fraud
Payroll changes and wire requests are favorite targets. A spoofed email asking to change bank details can cost more than any outage.
What we manage for accounting firms
Tax software and QuickBooks
Installs, updates, server and database care, multi-user hosting and performance work, with escalation to the software vendor when the fault is theirs.
Safeguards Rule controls
MFA on every account, encrypted laptops and email, access reviews, logging and documented offboarding, with written evidence for your security plan.
Secure client file exchange
Client portals, encrypted email and controlled SharePoint sharing, so tax documents do not travel as ordinary email attachments.
Backups and 24/7 support
Nightly backups of client files and accounting data, restore tests before each season, and a help desk that answers 24/7, including late nights in April.
What working with us looks like
We time the start around your filing deadlines. The usual order:
We assess between seasons
The best time is summer or right after October 15. We review software versions, server health, accounts, backups and how client files move in and out.
We fix the high-risk gaps
MFA, encryption, admin rights and stale accounts come first, because those are what the Safeguards Rule and attackers look at.
We test before January
Tax software updates and restore tests are scheduled before the filing rush, so problems show up early.
You get a yearly IT calendar
Hardware replacements, license renewals and security reviews are planned around your seasons, not in the middle of them.
Related services
FAQ
Accounting and finance IT questions
Can you support QuickBooks, Sage and our tax software?
Yes. We handle the servers, workstations, hosting, updates and backups around them, and open tickets with the software vendor when the issue is in their product.
Does the FTC Safeguards Rule apply to small tax practices?
Yes. The FTC treats tax preparers as financial institutions under the Safeguards Rule, and the IRS reminds practitioners they need a written information security plan. A few requirements are lighter for firms that hold data on fewer than 5,000 consumers, so confirm the details with your advisor.
How do finance teams stop payment-change fraud?
Use MFA, block automatic forwarding to outside addresses, tag external email, and require a phone callback to a known number before changing any bank details.
Can you help during tax season?
Yes. The help desk answers 24/7, and we plan updates and maintenance so nothing major changes between January and April 15.
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