The IRS has once again been sending reminders about the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums. We’re more than happy to plug opportunities for you to meet GruntWorx representatives face to face, but there’s another reason we wanted to highlight the forums: The agency used issue 2019-15 of their e-News service to advertise the “Cybersecurity for Tax Professionals and CPAs” presentation that will be available at the IRS Tax Forums.
The tax forums offer plenty of professional opportunities for attendees—seminars, workshops, vendors, and the IRS Case Resolution Program, to name a few. Of the more than 40 available seminars, a half dozen of them are dedicated to helping tax professionals understand the different facets of data security: from explaining the ABCs of cybersecurity to outlining how to deal with a data breach.
What cybersecurity topics will be covered?
We’ll kick this off with the aforementioned “Cybersecurity for Tax Professionals and CPAs” seminar that the IRS plugged a few weeks ago.
According to the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum website, this seminar will address “basic cyber hygiene and tips to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and remediate cyber incidents.” Attendees will also learn about the methods cybercriminals use to steal data and the legal requirements placed on tax professionals.
Those looking to dive into specific topics can sign up for the “Data Compromise Playbook for Tax Practitioners,” “e-File Identification Number (EFIN) Security Responsibilities,” “Helping You and Your Clients Steer Clear of the Latest Frauds and Swindles,” and “Understanding and Combatting Return Preparer Fraud – A Combined Effort” seminars.
If listening to a panel of experts talk about data security is more your speed, sign up for “Tax Security 2.0; The Taxes-Security-Together Checklist.”
What else will be covered at the Tax Forums?
What if you’re already a card-carrying data security expert or simply need to learn more about a different tax-related subject? Well, the 37 other seminars cover a lot of ground: tax law updates, withholding, due diligence, QBI, and more.
In short, the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums are a great resource for tax professionals who want to learn and—most importantly—earn CPE.