Refundo Blog

The Essential WISP Guide for Tax Professionals: Protecting Client Data with Confidence

Creating a Written Information Security Plan (WISP) is critical for tax professionals committed to protecting client data. A WISP isn’t just a best practice; it’s a compliance requirement under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the FTC’s Financial Privacy and Safeguards Rules. Beyond compliance, implementing a WISP can build trust with clients by showing you’re serious about safeguarding their Personally Identifiable Information (PII) against threats and unauthorized access.

Making Your Small Tax Preparation Office More Competitive

Owning and operating a small business in today’s day and age is a feat in and of itself. Getting a small tax preparation office up on its feet is no simple achievement. Once this is accomplished, however, there’s always work to be done. Between maintaining operations, and growing the book of business, and other constant business activities.

3 Reasons Why Audit Protection is Worth It

Tax audits are likely one of the most stressful and arduous processes that an individual can endure. From the moment an audit inquiry arrives in the mail, to the reports that cover the most minute details - tax audits are a hassle. Worse, audits can cost the unprepared taxpayer countless hours and result in a hefty fee. With audit protection, however, any individual will have a knowledgeable, and capable tax-expert prepared to come to their aid.

5 Things Customers Wish Every Tax Prep Service Offered

Being unique brings an element to a company's competitive advantage in and of itself. However, being so unique that a company lacks services or products that the majority of customers are seeking, actually hurts a company. Building a competitive advantage that differentiates one firm from another, while still hitting the mark in regards to customer needs is important.

Helping Taxpayers Feel More Comfortable Using Refund Settlements

Comfortability comes with time, understanding, and education. These are the principles tax professionals should look to when communicating the process of using refund settlements. As covered in Refundo’s article on implementing tax refund settlements, refund settlements are simply the process in which clients opt to allocate a portion of the tax-refund they are due, to cover the fees associated with the tax-prep services provided by their tax professional.

Competing In The Age Of DIY Tax Preparation Services

DIY tax preparation services can be an excellent and convenient option for consumers who want to own the process from start-to-finish, and often offer a lot of the same services that traditional tax-offices offer as well. However, they offer these services without the assistance of a human tax-expert ready to answer questions, and deliver personalized services. This is one of the many benefits to filing with a tax-prep office vs. a self-serve DIY tax preparation service.