IT support for CPA and tax firms in Spokane and North Idaho
A tax practice runs on three things: client trust, hard deadlines and software that has to work on April 14. Generic IT providers understand none of them.
We support CPA firms, EA practices and seasonal tax offices across the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene area. We know the software, we know the calendar, and we know what the IRS and the FTC expect you to have in place.
Problems we hear about every week
The tax software slows down in February
Usually it is the server, the network share or a workstation that should have been replaced last summer. We find it and fix it before season, not during.
You signed the W-12 attestation and are not sure what is behind it
Renewing your PTIN means attesting that you have a written information security plan. We run the safeguards. Our sister firm Sunesis writes and maintains the plan.
A client received a fake email that looked like it came from you
Email authentication and impersonation protection stop most spoofing. We set it up and show you the report.
Seasonal staff need access in January and need to lose it in May
We manage accounts, laptops and remote access for seasonal preparers on a calendar, so nothing is left open.
The rules we build around
Every control we put in place maps to the requirements your firm already answers to, so the same work satisfies your clients, your insurer and your regulators.
- IRS Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data
- IRS Publication 5708, Written Information Security Plan template
- The FTC Safeguards Rule, 16 CFR Part 314
- Form W-12 data security attestation at PTIN renewal
- AICPA and state board confidentiality requirements
Sunesis Services builds, runs and proves your WISP
Help Desk NW runs the technology. Our sister firm Sunesis Services writes and maintains the Written Information Security Plan the IRS and the FTC require, with a fixed-price WISP and Security Six Diagnostic.
What we do for cpa and tax firms
Managed IT
One flat monthly fee for the computers, network, email and support your firm runs on.
Cybersecurity
Layered protection for client data, sized for a small firm and documented for your WISP.
Co-managed IT
Back up the partner or office manager who has been doing IT on the side.
Microsoft 365
Email, Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint set up securely and kept that way.
Questions firms ask us
Do you support our tax software?
Yes. We regularly work with Drake, UltraTax CS, Lacerte, ProSeries, ProConnect and CCH Axcess, plus portals such as SmartVault, ShareFile and Canopy.
Does our firm need a WISP?
If you prepare tax returns for pay, yes. Federal law and the FTC Safeguards Rule require a written information security plan. Sunesis Services, our sister firm, builds and maintains them.
Can you work with a firm of one or two people?
Yes. Small practices often need help most, because there is nobody else to call. Hourly support or a one time assessment can be a good start.
Do you work with firms outside Spokane and Kootenai County?
Our on-site area runs from Spokane and Mead to Hayden and Rathdrum. We support firms elsewhere in Washington and Idaho remotely.
Start with a conversation, not a contract
A 20 minute call to hear how your firm runs today. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you, and point you to who is.