2022 was a challenging year for the cryptocurrency (aka crypto) industry, caused by the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX (the third-largest crypto exchange at the time). The result has been a shift in the cryptocurrency industry, with newly minted crypto millionaires facing sudden losses. Many have had to sell their cryptocurrencies at a lower […]

It’s become all too regular an occurrence for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to warn taxpayers of a new scam. Thousands of taxpaying citizens have lost millions of dollars through scams, with new schemes appearing as quickly as people can be made aware of them. The solution? Taxpayers have to be aware of how the […]

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Americans didn’t pay $688 billion in taxes on their 2021 returns—highlighting an increase of more than $138 billion from 2017-2019 estimates. To address this ‘tax gap,’ the IRS is taking new actions such as increasing auditing and capitalizing on new laws such as the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). […]

What is a data breach? Data breaches are unauthorized access to and theft of sensitive data by cybercriminals. Bad actors may gain entry to an organization’s store of customer data through various techniques, including brute force attacks, phishing, or social engineering schemes. Ransomware attacks may encrypt sensitive data and only unlock access to vital systems […]

What is Zero Trust? Zero Trust is a cybersecurity model that keeps organizations’ data safe by requiring users to continuously verify and authenticate their identities. Analyst John Kindervag, formerly of technology research firm Forrester, first coined the term in 2010. But the concept also has roots in the “black core” architecture theory of the U.S. […]

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) created the ERC tax credit to support businesses and tax-exempt organizations that supported employees during COVID-19. However, the IRS reports that it is pausing the ERC tax credit due to reports of fraud, especially with the IRS seeing aggressive marketing that is misleading businesses and tax-exempt organizations to claim the […]

Increasingly, governments and regulatory bodies, including the IRS, FTC, and SEC are requiring formalized security plans. In the U.S., some states require financial institutions, such as CPAs, accounting firms, mortgage brokers, universities, and nonbank lenders, to establish a Written Information Security Plan (WISP). This formal plan outlines the roles of staff in data security protections, […]

Earlier this year, the SEC announced new cybersecurity guidelines and finalized those rules in August after the standard public review period. These rules affect how public companies must report major cyber breaches and when. Additionally, the rules detail how board directors should prepare and manage ongoing security issues. The new rules take effect on December […]

What are client advisory services? Accounting professionals are adapting to clients’ changing needs, which demand greater insight and value from their advisors. For many, managing a growing business can be daunting. Making wise financial decisions to help their companies grow requires understanding various investment options, tax laws, market trends, and cybersecurity.  CPAs providing advisory and […]

With the increasing importance of transparency and accountability in both private and governmental settings, the U.S. government has introduced the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Set to go into effect on January 1, 2024, the CTA aims to tackle financial issues such as money laundering.   As the deadline approaches, now is the time to identify which […]