CPA firms and tax practices
Firms that prepare returns, hold Social Security numbers and bank details, and need systems that hold up when the workload peaks.
IT support for accounting firms
built around tax season
Your busiest weeks are the worst time for a locked account, a failed server or a phishing email dressed up as a client document. Chrysalis Tech Group gives accounting and certified public accountant (CPA) firms 24/7 IT support, secure ways to exchange client files and help with the security program the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Safeguards Rule asks for.
- Help desk support around the clock, including the late nights before a deadline.
- Secure file sharing in place of email attachments.
- Support with your written information security plan (WISP), multi-factor authentication (MFA) and encryption.
What IT support for accounting firms includes
IT support for accounting firms keeps your tax and accounting software, client files and email working and protected, with extra attention before and during tax season. Chrysalis provides 24/7 help desk support, monitoring, backups, secure client file exchange and email security. We also help you put in place the controls the FTC Safeguards Rule expects, including a WISP and MFA. The plan and the decisions stay with your firm; we do the technical work and keep it running.
Who this is for
Firms that hold sensitive financial data and cannot lose a day in filing season.
Bookkeeping and accounting firms
Practices that sign in to client banking and accounting systems every day and need those credentials protected.
Firms without an IT person
Partners and office managers who currently fix the printer, reset passwords and renew software licenses themselves.
The IT risks accounting firms carry
Accounting firms hold the data criminals want, and tax season leaves little time to spot a scam.
Tax season pressure
A slow server or a locked-out preparer costs hours you cannot get back in the final weeks. Seasonal staff also need accounts, devices and access set up quickly, then removed when the season ends.
Phishing and impersonation
Criminals send fake client documents, fake payment requests and emails pretending to come from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), timed for when staff are busiest. One stolen password can open a mailbox full of tax returns.
The FTC Safeguards Rule
The FTC counts tax preparation firms as financial institutions under its Safeguards Rule. The rule expects a written security plan, a named person in charge of it, risk assessments, and controls such as MFA and encryption. Your firm stays responsible for it even when IT is outsourced.
How Chrysalis supports accounting firms
Day-to-day support, plus the security work the Safeguards Rule calls for.
24/7 help desk and monitoring
Support for partners, staff and seasonal preparers at any hour, with monitoring of the servers, cloud apps and computers your firm depends on. Before the season starts, we check updates, backups, licenses and remote access, so problems surface early instead of in the final week.
Secure file exchange
A secure way for clients to send and receive documents, so returns and statements stop traveling as email attachments. We help you choose and configure the file-sharing workflow and show staff how to use it.
Email security
Filtering for phishing and spoofed messages, MFA on email and remote access, and security awareness training before the season, so staff know what a fake client email looks like before the rush.
Safeguards Rule and WISP support
Help with the technical side of your WISP: a risk assessment, access controls, encryption, logging and an incident response plan. Your firm owns the plan; Chrysalis does the technical work and keeps records of it.
Backups and continuity
Backups of your tax and accounting data, restore tests, and a plan for keeping the office working through storms and outages. Client servers can be housed at Fibertown, a data center rated for up to a Category 5 hurricane.
Get ready before the deadlines
A complimentary risk assessment gives you a high-level view of your email security, backups and access before the season starts. It is also a useful starting point for the risk assessment the Safeguards Rule expects.
Request a risk assessmentWhat you get
- Staff who can get help at any hour, including the nights before a deadline.
- Client files exchanged through secure file sharing instead of email attachments.
- A WISP backed by controls that are in place and documented.
From a Chrysalis client.
Murphy’s Corporate Housing Associates, on moving from an in-house server to a cloud-based solution with Chrysalis.
Read more client stories“The company successfully migrated from an in-house server to a cloud-based solution, thanks to Chrysalis MSP. It was a seamless transition, and the team proved to be reliable and responsive to the firm's inquiries. They used their experience to recommend solutions to meet the client's requirements.”
A clear plan.
From the first conversation.
Understand your environment, agree on the priorities, then make progress together.
- 1
Listen first
Talk through your business, current systems and what needs to change.
- 2
Find the gaps
Assess risks and build a practical plan around your priorities.
- 3
Make it work
Put the agreed technology and security improvements in place.
- 4
Keep improving
Stay supported as your people, systems and business evolve.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from accounting and CPA firms.
Does the FTC Safeguards Rule apply to our firm?
If you prepare tax returns, the FTC treats your firm as a financial institution under the rule, and the IRS reminds tax professionals that a written security plan is required. Other financial services can also bring a firm under the rule, so confirm your position with your own advisers. Chrysalis helps with the technical side.
Can you write our WISP for us?
We help you build it. Chrysalis can document the technical controls for your WISP, help with the risk assessment inputs and put the agreed controls in place, but the plan has to describe how your firm actually works, and your firm owns it. No provider can make you compliant on its own.
What does support look like during tax season?
The help desk is available 24/7, so a preparer working late can still get help. Before the season we review updates, backups, licenses and remote access, and we agree with you how urgent issues are handled and when someone comes onsite.
Can our staff work from home securely?
Yes. Remote access protected by MFA, managed and encrypted laptops, and secure access to your tax software let staff work from home without copying client files to personal computers.
Do you work with our tax software?
We support the servers, cloud accounts, computers and network your tax and accounting software runs on, and we work with the software vendor when an issue sits on their side. Tell us what you use and we will explain how we would support it.
How much does IT support for an accounting firm cost?
Managed IT is a flat monthly fee. Plans start at $125 per user per month with Chrysalis Essential, and the final figure depends on the agreed scope, mainly the number of people and devices, your servers and the security work you need. Your proposal lists what the plan covers.
Go into tax season ready
Talk to Chrysalis about your firm, your software and your Safeguards Rule plan. We start with a conversation and a complimentary risk assessment.
- Sales and new inquiries713.575.2608
- Client support713.575.2626
- Email[email protected]