First Coast Accounting TechFirst Coast Accounting Tech · Jacksonville, St. Johns County & St. Augustine, FL
IT & Data Security for Northeast Florida Accounting Practices
Accounting, bookkeeping and tax practices are required to protect client financial data in writing — with real safeguards behind the document. Here is what that requires, and how to put it in place.
Call (904) 385-1416Built for accounting practices, not general business
Most IT companies treat an accounting practice like any other office. It is not. Your practice handles Social Security numbers, bank details and full financial histories for every client you serve, and the IRS expects you to be able to show how that data is protected.
That is a different problem from ordinary office IT, and it calls for someone who knows what a reviewer actually expects to see — not a generalist learning your obligations on your time. When you weigh a provider, ask what they know specifically about accounting and tax practices.
What a practice needs to cover
Data security plans (WISP)
The written plan the IRS requires, plus the safeguards that make it true rather than a filed document.
Learn more →Secure client email & document exchange
Stop sending returns and W-2s as email attachments. Encrypted delivery and a client portal that people will actually use.
Learn more →Talk to us
A short call, no charge, to work out what your practice already has and what is missing.
Learn more →What to look for in a provider
- Experience with accounting, bookkeeping and tax practices specifically — not general office IT
- Familiarity with the IRS data-security rules (Pub 4557 and 5708) and the FTC Safeguards Rule your practice falls under
- Work scheduled around filing season, not through it — and local to the First Coast is a plus
- A plan tied to safeguards that actually exist, not a downloaded template
The season decides the schedule
Timing matters more than firms expect. Nothing should be migrated, rebuilt or rolled out between late January and April 15th — the risk to a live practice mid-season is not worth it, and any good provider will tell you the same.
Practically, the quiet window to fix this runs from roughly May through December. A firm that starts looking in February is usually waiting until May anyway — so the time to plan is before the season, not during it.
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About this page
Current as of July 2026. This page describes rules that change. It is general information about IRS and FTC requirements — not legal, tax or compliance advice, and not a complete statement of everything that may apply to your practice.
Requirements are set by the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission, and their guidance is updated from time to time. Check IRS Publication 4557, ftc.gov, or your own advisor before relying on anything here. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.