Guides for tax and accounting firms
GUIDES
Plain-English guides to the rules a tax practice has to follow and the records that prove it: your written security plan, the IRS's guidance on AI, sharing client data with advisors, and email security. Each one shows the date it was last updated.
Newest
- Can someone fake an email from your firm?
Free check for tax and accounting firms: type your domain and see, in plain words, whether Gmail and Outlook are told to block email that fakes your address, and what to change if not. No sign-up, nothing kept.
Published October 26, 2026
- IRS AI Guidance for Tax Professionals: What OPR Issue 2026-19 Asks of Your Firm
The IRS office that disciplines tax pros has said how its rules apply to AI. What OPR Issue 2026-19 asks of your firm, in plain English, with a six-question check.
Published October 26, 2026
- Sample WISP for a tax practice (2026), with a Responsible AI Use section
A complete sample WISP for a made-up tax firm, printed by CPA Hub: Program Summary, the eight FTC Safeguards sections, a Circular 230 Responsible AI Use policy written to IRS OPR Issue 2026-19, and the records attached. Free PDF.
Published October 26, 2026
Written security plans and the FTC Safeguards Rule
Federal law requires every paid tax preparer to keep a Written Information Security Plan (WISP). What goes in one, how to write it, and what a finished one looks like.
- If the FTC called your firm today
Ten questions an FTC examiner asks about your written information security plan, with what each one is listening for. Answer them about your own firm and take the sheet with you. No sign-up, no score.
Updated October 26, 2026
- WISP for Tax Preparers: The Complete 2026 Compliance Guide
Every paid tax preparer must have a Written Information Security Plan (WISP). Here is exactly what a compliant WISP requires under IRS Pub 4557 and the FTC Safeguards Rule — and how to build one in minutes.
Updated October 26, 2026
- Sample WISP for a tax practice (2026), with a Responsible AI Use section
A complete sample WISP for a made-up tax firm, printed by CPA Hub: Program Summary, the eight FTC Safeguards sections, a Circular 230 Responsible AI Use policy written to IRS OPR Issue 2026-19, and the records attached. Free PDF.
Published October 26, 2026
- WISP Template vs. Software: Which Should Tax Professionals Use?
A free WISP template is a starting point, not a finished plan. Here's when a template works, where it fails, and when WISP software is worth it for tax firms.
Updated October 26, 2026
- The FTC Safeguards Rule for Accountants and Tax Firms
What the FTC Safeguards Rule requires of accountants and tax preparers in plain English — the 9 required elements, penalties, and how a WISP satisfies it.
Updated October 20, 2026
- How to Create a WISP for Your Tax Practice (Step-by-Step)
A step-by-step guide to creating a compliant Written Information Security Plan (WISP) for your tax firm — the 8 sections, how to adopt it, and how to keep it current under IRS Pub 4557 and the FTC Safeguards Rule.
Updated October 20, 2026
- IRS Publication 4557 Explained: What Tax Professionals Must Actually Do
IRS Publication 4557 in plain English — what "Safeguarding Taxpayer Data" requires, who must comply, how it relates to the FTC Safeguards Rule, and how to meet it with a WISP.
Updated October 20, 2026
- What Happens If a Tax Preparer Doesn't Have a WISP?
No WISP? Here are the real consequences for tax preparers — an FTC consent order that can run 20 years, e-file (EFIN) sanctions, and breach liability — plus how to fix it fast.
Updated October 20, 2026
- WISP Requirements Checklist for Tax Preparers
A complete WISP requirements checklist for tax firms — every element you need under IRS Pub 4557 and the FTC Safeguards Rule, in one printable list.
Updated October 20, 2026
AI in tax practice
What the IRS has said about using AI in client work, in plain English, and what it asks of a firm.
- IRS AI Guidance for Tax Professionals: What OPR Issue 2026-19 Asks of Your Firm
The IRS office that disciplines tax pros has said how its rules apply to AI. What OPR Issue 2026-19 asks of your firm, in plain English, with a six-question check.
Published October 26, 2026
Sharing client tax data with advisors
When a client's written permission is needed before their return data goes to a financial advisor or anyone else, and how to set it up properly. (IRC §7216)
- Section 7216 Consent: When You Need Your Client’s Signature First
IRC Section 7216 in plain English: when a tax preparer needs a client’s signed consent to share or use return information, what the consent must say, the Form 1040 rules, and the penalties.
Published September 28, 2026
- IRC §7216: Sharing Client Tax Data With a Financial Advisor
Sending a client's tax information to their financial advisor is a disclosure requiring prior written consent under IRC §7216. What the consent must contain, what counts as a disclosure, and how to enforce it rather than file it.
Updated September 28, 2026
- Can My CPA Share My Tax Information With My Financial Advisor?
Your accountant needs your signed written consent before sending your tax information to your financial advisor. What that consent covers, how long it lasts, and how to withdraw it.
Published August 10, 2026
- Setting Up a CPA–Advisor Relationship: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
The whole thing start to finish, in plain English — getting the advisor an account, granting access to one client, getting the taxpayer's consent signed, and what to do when something is blocked.
Published August 10, 2026
- Advisor Bridge for Advisory Firms: What to Expect on Day One
A CPA firm has invited your RIA to receive a client's tax information through Advisor Bridge. How to accept, what you will and will not see, and why access can end without notice.
Published August 10, 2026
Email security for tax firms
Whether someone could send email that looks like it came from your firm, and what small firms have in place today.
- Can someone fake an email from your firm?
Free check for tax and accounting firms: type your domain and see, in plain words, whether Gmail and Outlook are told to block email that fakes your address, and what to change if not. No sign-up, nothing kept.
Published October 26, 2026
- State of Tax Firm Email Security 2026
We checked the public email settings of 3,603 small US tax practices. Only 34% block email that fakes their name, and 45% of the firms with DMARC left it on "none". Full results by firm size, email provider and state.
Updated October 26, 2026
Choosing practice management software
How CPA Hub compares with other platforms small firms use, each comparison dated.
- AI Tax Document Extraction for CPA Firms: How It Works
How AI tax document extraction eliminates manual data entry — automatically pulling data from W-2s, 1099s, K-1s and 26 IRS forms. What it is, how it works, and what to look for.
Updated October 20, 2026
- Best Tax Practice Management Software for Small Firms (2026)
The best tax practice management software for small and solo firms in 2026 — compared by price, features, compliance, and who each fits. An honest, up-to-date shortlist.
Updated October 27, 2026
- CPA Hub vs Canopy (2026): Which Is Right for Your Firm?
An honest side-by-side of CPA Hub and Canopy — pricing, WISP compliance, AI features, and who each is best for. A budget-friendly Canopy alternative for small firms.
Updated October 20, 2026
- CPA Hub vs Financial Cents (2026): Which Is Right for Your Firm?
CPA Hub vs Financial Cents compared — price, WISP compliance, AI extraction, and workflow. Which fits a small or solo tax firm best.
Updated October 20, 2026
- CPA Hub vs Karbon (2026): Which Is Right for Your Firm?
CPA Hub vs Karbon, compared honestly — compliance, AI extraction, team collaboration, pricing, and who each is best for.
Updated October 20, 2026
- Switching to CPA Hub from TaxDome
What moving from TaxDome to CPA Hub involves: what transfers, what compliance capability you gain, and how the migration runs. Built for firms that need FTC Safeguards Rule evidence, not just workflow.
Updated October 20, 2026
General information, not legal advice.