Is Your WISP Real?
The FTC Safeguards Rule says every paid preparer needs a written security plan. Is yours real — or a half-finished template in a folder somewhere?
Get a free, no-obligation Tax Practice Security & WISP Readiness Review — a clear-eyed look at how your firm protects client data and whether your written plan actually holds up. When we return to present your report, we'll bring you a YETI Cooler ($400 value) as our thanks.
Book your free review
Good through Oct 31, 2026. No obligation — your report is yours to keep.
A practical review, and a straight answer
We come to your office, review the security, performance, and reliability of your current IT environment, and hand you a clear report. Yours to keep, whether you work with us or not.
- Client data protection — where returns, K-1s, and Social Security numbers live, and whether they're encrypted at rest and in transit (including the laptops staff take home in March).
- MFA everywhere — whether multi-factor authentication is on across your tax software, email, and remote access — not just the systems that forced it on you.
- The WISP question, answered — do you have a real plan under the FTC Safeguards Rule, with a named Qualified Individual, a written risk assessment, and a documented annual review? Yes or no.
- Vendor oversight — the Safeguards Rule makes you responsible for every vendor that touches client data. Is that in writing, for each of them?
- Backups & recovery, tested — if ransomware hit on March 20th, how fast could you be filing again — and when did you last actually test it?
Is your WISP real — or a template no one finished?
If you prepare returns for compensation, the FTC treats your firm as a financial institution — and the Safeguards Rule requires a written information security plan with a named Qualified Individual, a risk assessment, MFA, encryption, vendor oversight, and an annual review. And at PTIN renewal, Form W-12, Line 11 asks you to acknowledge the requirement in writing.
Most firms have a half-finished template. Our free self-check shows you exactly where your plan stands in about five minutes.
Download the free checklistWhere the gaps hide in a tax practice
WISP & Safeguards status
A real written plan under the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Pub 4557 — or a template no one finished.
MFA everywhere
Multi-factor authentication across tax software, email, and remote access — not just where it was forced on you.
Client data encryption
Returns, K-1s, and SSNs protected at rest and in transit, including the laptops staff take home in busy season.
Vendor oversight
Written security terms for every vendor that touches client data — a Safeguards Rule requirement.
Backups & recovery
How fast you could be filing again after ransomware — and when you last actually tested it.
The software you run on
UltraTax, Lacerte, ProSeries, Drake, CCH Axcess — kept fast, secure, and available when it counts.
Three reasons this isn't optional
Regulatory
The FTC Safeguards Rule carries penalties up to $100,000 per violation, and a missing plan can put your PTIN or EFIN at risk. The IRS now ties it to PTIN renewal.
Client trust
A breach of taxpayer data — SSNs, returns, K-1s — can end the client relationships your firm is built on.
Busy-season continuity
A ransomware hit or compromised inbox in March is the one problem you can't plan your way out of. October is when you fix it.
Firms that stopped worrying about IT
I love working with the people at IT Support RI — always patient and accommodating, and whatever the issue is, it gets resolved fast. Before them, I had a malware issue every year and significant downtime. Four years in, I haven't had an issue. The peace of mind is well worth it.
IT Support RI has always been there for us. Given our growth, it's so important to know the security is there — and that we can call anytime and someone's available. Knowing we can keep going if something happens is key for us.
With systems as complex as ours, one person can't specialize in everything. IT Support RI covers those gaps and keeps everything running correctly.
Book your free WISP & security review
Offer good through October 31st, 2026. Fix a gap in October, when you have time — instead of March, when you don't.
- Fill out the quick form at the top — about a minute.
- We reach out and schedule your on-site review.
- We present your report and hand you your $400 YETI.
Before you book
Is the review really free?
Yes. The Tax Practice Security & WISP Readiness Review is complimentary, with no obligation and no hidden fees. The written report is yours to keep whether or not you ever work with us.
What's the catch with the YETI cooler?
There isn't one. Book and complete your review, and we'll bring you a YETI Cooler ($400 value) when we return to present your report. It's simply our way of thanking you for your time.
Do we have to switch IT providers?
No. Many firms use the review as a second opinion or a compliance baseline. If your systems are already solid, you get peace of mind and a clear report. If there are gaps, you decide what to do next — with us or on your own.
What is a WISP, and does my firm really need one?
A Written Information Security Plan is a documented program for protecting client data. Because the FTC treats paid tax preparers as financial institutions under GLBA, the Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557 require every preparer to maintain one — with no minimum client count or revenue threshold. Since 2023, confirming you have one is part of PTIN renewal.
Isn't my tax software already secure?
Your software vendor secures their own platform, but the Safeguards Rule makes your firm responsible for your whole environment — email, endpoints, remote access, the laptops staff take home, and every vendor that touches client data. Those are exactly the areas we review.
Why do this in October?
October is the quiet window before filing season. A ransomware hit, a compromised inbox, or an IRS request to see your security plan isn't a filing-season problem you can plan around — it's an October problem that shows up in March. Fixing it now beats discovering it the week before a deadline.