Identity Theft: Clients Wonder if They Can Trust their Accountants
The do’s and don’ts clients should hear from you first.
By Rick Telberg
CPA Trendlines
Americans were already afraid of identity thefts involving big companies like Target, Sony and Anthem Blue Cross.
Now the fear and distrust is starting to infect tax and accounting firms.
Taxpayers using professional tax preparers are increasingly worrying about the security of their personal financial information, up 6 percentage points from last year, according to CPA Trendlines sources.
Six percentage points may not sound like much, but when it’s a 40% growth rate. At that pace, if unchecked, next year 29% of clients would need reassurances.
The big data breaches are already legion — Target, Sony, Anthem Blue Cross. But when taxpayers start to suspect the security at CPA firms and professional tax preparation companies, the profession has a problem. And it’s a fundamental and growing problem.