Industries · Accounting
IT that holds up when tax season does not let up
Accounting and bookkeeping firms handle some of the most sensitive financial data their clients have, under deadlines that do not move. We keep practice software running, client documents moving securely and staff accounts protected against the fraud that targets this profession.
At a glance
- Who this is for
- CPA practices, bookkeeping firms and tax preparers with roughly 5 to 200 staff in BC and Alberta
- Typical environment
- Tax and working-paper software, cloud accounting platforms, a client portal or secure file exchange, Microsoft 365 and remote staff
- Common priorities
- Peak-season reliability, secure document exchange, protection against CRA-themed phishing, retention and tested backups
- How support is delivered
- Remote support with on-site visits in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Calgary confirmed per address
- Pricing basis
- Per user per month, confirmed in a written quotation; seasonal staff can be added and removed as scoped
Technology challenges in accounting practices
Tax season compresses everything
Between February and the personal and corporate filing deadlines, workloads spike, seasonal staff join, and any outage costs billable hours that cannot be recovered later. IT changes need to happen before the rush, not during it.
Clients still send documents by email
T-slips, bank statements and identification arrive as unencrypted email attachments or through personal file-sharing links. Staff then forward them internally, multiplying copies of sensitive data.
A mix of desktop and cloud practice software
Firms commonly combine desktop working-paper and tax applications such as CaseWare or TaxCycle with cloud platforms like QuickBooks Online or Xero. Each has its own update cycle, licensing and data location to manage.
Retention obligations and growing archives
Client files and working papers are kept for several years under professional and tax-related requirements. Without a clear structure, archives sprawl across servers, laptops and mailboxes.
Risks that target accounting firms
- Phishing that impersonates the Canada Revenue Agency, a client or a software vendor, especially around filing deadlines
- Compromised staff mailboxes used to send fraudulent payment instructions or harvest client SIN and banking information
- Abuse of CRA Represent a Client and other online portal credentials if they are shared or not protected with strong sign-in controls
- Ransomware on a shared server holding client files and working papers in the middle of tax season
- Seasonal or departed staff keeping access to client folders and cloud accounting tenants
- Client data stored on personal devices used by remote staff
Services we recommend for accounting firms
Managed IT with seasonal readiness
A pre-season check of workstations, software versions, printers, scanners and remote access, plus help desk capacity planned around your busiest weeks.
Email security
Advanced filtering, impersonation protection, link and attachment scanning, and sender authentication records configured for your domain.
Identity security and multifactor authentication
Multifactor authentication on Microsoft 365, cloud accounting platforms and remote access, with conditional access to restrict sign-ins to managed devices.
Security awareness training
Short, regular training and simulated phishing focused on the CRA, client and vendor impersonation patterns your staff actually see.
Backup and Microsoft 365 backup
Backups of practice software data, file shares and Microsoft 365, with restore tests scheduled before peak season.
Microsoft 365 for secure client work
Microsoft 365 can replace much of the risky email traffic in a practice. We configure SharePoint or a dedicated client portal so clients upload documents to a controlled location instead of attaching them to email, and so staff share outgoing files through links that expire. Sensitivity labels and data loss prevention policies, where your licensing includes them, can warn staff before a SIN or bank account number leaves the firm.
We also align mailbox and folder permissions with how your firm is organized, whether by partner, client group or service line, and make sure seasonal staff are granted only the access they need for the period they are with you. Retention policies can be set to support your firm’s record-keeping practices; your professional advisers determine the retention periods that apply.
Continuity planning for deadline-driven work
- Restore tests of practice software databases and client folders scheduled before tax season begins
- Offsite or immutable backup copies that ransomware on the office network cannot reach
- Documented reinstall steps and licence details for tax and working-paper applications
- A plan for staff to work from home or another office if the main office is unavailable during filing season
- Spare or rapidly replaceable workstations for preparers and reviewers
Security controls for client financial data
- Multifactor authentication on every account that can reach client data, including cloud accounting and portal logins
- Conditional access that blocks sign-ins from unmanaged personal devices where appropriate
- Endpoint detection and response with alert review on covered devices
- Disk encryption on all laptops and a clear policy against client data on personal computers
- Separate administrator accounts and regular review of who holds elevated access
- A call-back procedure for any payment or banking change request received by email
How we work with an accounting firm
Map the practice
We document which tax, working-paper and cloud accounting tools you use, how client documents arrive and leave, and how seasonal staffing works.
Close the urgent gaps
We enable multifactor authentication, review mailbox forwarding rules and dormant accounts, and confirm backups can be restored.
Move document exchange off email
We set up a portal or SharePoint-based exchange and help staff and clients adopt it.
Prepare for peak season
Updates, hardware replacements and staff onboarding are scheduled before the rush, with a freeze on non-essential changes during it.
Review after each season
We look at what slowed staff down and plan improvements for the next filing year.
Professional and privacy obligations
We support privacy-aware operations with technical controls and documentation. Your firm remains responsible for its professional, privacy and record-retention obligations; consult your privacy officer, CPA body guidance or legal adviser for requirements that apply to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you help us stop receiving client documents by email?
Yes. We can configure a secure upload area in Microsoft 365 or support the client portal included with your practice software, and help staff guide clients through the change.
Do you support CaseWare, TaxCycle or QuickBooks Online?
We support the computers, installations, updates, accounts and backups those applications depend on, and coordinate with the vendor for application-level issues.
Can you add seasonal staff for tax season?
Yes. We onboard seasonal users with role-based access and devices, and remove their access when the season ends. Per-user pricing adjusts as written in your scope.
How do you reduce CRA-themed phishing?
Through email filtering and impersonation protection, multifactor authentication so stolen passwords are less useful, and training that shows staff real examples of tax-season scams.
Will you make us compliant with privacy law?
We implement technical controls that support privacy-aware operations, but compliance is a legal determination. Your privacy officer or legal adviser should confirm what applies to your firm.
Related services
Products and packages
Industries we support
Service areas
Get ready before the next filing season
Book a consultation to review your practice software, document exchange and security. You will receive a written scope before any recurring commitment.