GruntWorx Blog

Explore How GruntWorx Integrates with Your Tax Software

If efficiency is the magic word in tax preparation, then GruntWorx is your personal wizard. GruntWorx offers a seamless integration with your tax software, revolutionizing the way you handle tax documents.  But why take our word for it? Explore for Read More...

3 Essential Personalities on a Remote-Ready Accounting Team

With the widespread growth in the remote work trend, even the accounting profession has made a significant shift. The thought of adapting workflows, technologies, and processes to seamlessly support work from anywhere may be daunting, but the benefits of hiring Read More...

Using GruntWorx to Handle Sensitive Taxpayer Data

GruntWorx technology is designed to help tax professionals improve their productivity by taking over the “grunt work” of data entry. However, the information accessed during the data entry stage of tax preparation is extremely sensitive–SSNs and other identifying numbers must Read More...

How to Determine if Full-Service Automation is Right for You

As you explore our range of products and services here at GruntWorx®, you may have already observed that we've divided them into two primary categories: Self-service and full-service.  Last month, we delved into the realm of self-service automation and examined Read More...

Is Self-Service Automation Right for Your Tax Practice?

As you explore our products and services here at GruntWorx®, you may have noticed that they are separated into two groups: Self-service and full-service. While it may seem counterintuitive to offer “self-service” automation solutions, we believe you will find these Read More...

Secondary Benefits of Using Automation Software

When it comes to automation, we all know the key benefits: tedious jobs go quicker, accuracy skyrockets, and time goes back into your pocket. But what about the secondary benefits resulting from these more obvious ones? Today, we are looking Read More...

How to Successfully Transition to a Paperless Workflow

Your tax workflow is the core of your tax practice, so making a major change to that process is never going to be a quick fix. While we at GruntWorx are proud proponents of the benefits of a paperless office, Read More...

3 Must-Have Features for Last-Minute Tax Prep Automation

As Tax Day approaches, professionals like yourself are battening down the hatches and calling all hands on deck to prepare for one of the busiest months of the tax season. Hiring new staff at the last minute can quickly become Read More...

What Makes GruntWorx Great? Here’s What Users are Saying

Each month, we review issues and ideas in automation, import, and organization for your tax office–including the ways that GruntWorx can help. Now, we want to give a few of our users the spotlight to talk about GruntWorx features that Read More...

Organize Vs. Populate: How to Choose Automation Software

The 2023 tax season is officially underway, so saving time in your tax-office workflow is more important than ever. Automation software can help cut down on tedious data entry and organization. Each practice has its own staffing and automation needs, Read More...

Year-End Preparations for a Successful Tax Season

All is merry and bright this time of year, and for tax professionals like yourself, busy also gets added to the list. As you prepare for the 2023 tax season, here are a few tips to set you up for success. Warm Read More...

Choosing Automation Software for the Upcoming Tax Season

Just on the other side of the holidays, tax season is ready to jump into action. Tax pros know that time is precious from January to April, and choosing automation software now will save you precious hours down the road Read More...

3 Ways to Streamline Tax Prep in 2023

Now that we’ve passed the extended filing deadline for 2021 tax returns, it’s time to start getting ready for a successful tax season in 2023. Let’s talk about three ways you can streamline your tax preparation workflow ahead of time. Read More...

Help Work-from-Anywhere Clients Get Ahead of Tax Headaches

Work from Anywhere (WFA) has exploded in popularity over the last few years. While COVID-19 forced many offices to adapt in 2020 and 2021, the change seems to be growing roots; freelancers and 9-to-5 employees alike are opting for more Read More...

Rebuilding Client Records After Disaster Strikes

When disaster strikes–from natural disasters to house fires and beyond–rebuilding records and calculating loss from the damage may not be the first things on your clients’ minds.  However, calculating loss and piecing critical paperwork back together will be vital when Read More...

Walk Clients Through IRS Letters with This Interactive Tool

No one likes getting mail from the IRS, but as a preparer, you know that not every official letter or notice is an automatic sign of an audit. Your clients, on the other hand, may have a lot of internalized Read More...

FTC Warns About Job Scams

It’s that time of year again. Newly minted college graduates are turning their attention to the job market, excited to begin the next phase of their lives. You may have even received a flurry of graduation invitations from proud family Read More...

Serve Clients and Ease Workload with Out-of-Season Tax Tips

We’ve officially left the madness of individual tax filing season, and hopefully you’ve had a moment to catch your breath before the June tax deadlines roll around. While that moment’s rest is wonderful, there are actually ways to be proactive Read More...

3 Tips for Avoiding Work-From-Home Scams

It seems like working from home has never been easier. The pandemic quickly made services like Zoom a household name, and Software-as-a-Service platforms have helped businesses support work-from-home arrangements. From national corporations to local businesses, employers are increasingly advertising remote Read More...

Tax Season Pain Points Still Fresh? Check Your Workflow

It’s no question that 2022 has been an exhausting year for tax preparers. Between new regulations, tax breaks, and IRS delays, preparers have had to adapt to a brave new world of rules–and bearing the brunt of taxpayer frustration. As Read More...

3 Ways for Tax Preparers to Beat Last-Minute Filing Stress

It’s only a matter of weeks before the Tax Day deadline closes in, and if your clients tend towards procrastination, it’s understandable for you to be breaking into a sweat by now. How do you get it all done in Read More...

No, IRS Didn’t Put Your Account on Hold

It’s no secret that identity thieves want your information. Tax and accounting firms routinely handle clients’ financial information, and security breaches affecting these businesses can be even worse if criminals gain access to preparation software accounts—enabling them to more easily Read More...

Staff or Automate? How to Build Out Your Tax Prep Business

Whether you’ve been preparing tax returns as a side job for years or are just getting started, you've decided the time has come to grow your operation. But how? The world of hiring, staffing, and automation is huge. Where do Read More...

Time Management Tips for a Challenging Tax Season

  2022 is here, and the past two years of irregular tax seasons have added up to a big hairy deal for the IRS. With foreboding language in the Tax Advocacy Service’s report to Congress and the IRS still frantically Read More...

Need a COVID Test? Watch Out for Scams!

Experts predicted the surge caused by the Omicron variant would peak at the end of January, and communities are continuing to brace for hospital bed shortages and small business closures. So, it’s no surprise that the country has been dealing Read More...

FTC Tips for Avoiding Post-Disaster Scams

Natural disasters are devastating for the people caught in their path. Trying to figure out what to do after losing a home, business, or loved one is a grueling experience, and criminals like identity thieves and clean-up scammers are keen Read More...

Criminals Want Your EFIN

Christmas is just a few days away, and New Year’s is right around the corner. While most of us are eating dangerous amounts of turkey and picking the perfect outfit for those “2022” glasses, criminals are ready to deploy a Read More...

National Tax Security Awareness Week Tips

It’s easy for data security to become an afterthought in the months leading up to filing season. You’re busy completing continuing education requirements, learning recent updates to your tax prep and accounting software, and training staff—not to mention having your Read More...

FTC Tips to Protect Your Family from Scam Calls

The holidays are a time for fellowship and thanksgiving, when families crowd around a well-worn table to share meals and stories. For many, these celebrations are punctuated by memories of grandparents who are excited to see all their loved ones Read More...

FTC Warns of New EIP Scam

It’s no secret that identity thieves are working hard to steal our private information and money. When they tailor phishing messages to current events, it can be even more difficult to spot these scams. The Federal Trade Commission warns that Read More...

Responding to Data Theft

Most data security-related press releases and outreach campaigns from the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Trade Commission focus on preventing the theft or loss of data. The reality is that many taxpayers and tax professionals fall victim to identity thieves Read More...

Scammers Targeting Natural-Disaster Victims

The Gulf Coast is bracing for another hurricane just two weeks after Ida began its devastating march to the Northeast in Louisiana. Hurricane Nicholas made landfall in Texas, and The National Hurricane Center predicts that storm-ravaged Louisiana is directly in Read More...

5 Tips from the Security Summit

For the better part of a decade, tax-related identity theft scams have been a thorn in our side. Criminals have targeted taxpayers and taxpayers with an increasingly diverse series of phishing scams spanning most major communications platforms, from printed letters Read More...

Avoid Coronavirus Relief Phishing Emails

The Federal Trade Commission is warning that there’s another new coronavirus phishing scam. This time, identity thieves are sending emails that appear to come from FTC Chair Lina Khan. “The email says the FTC wants to send you coronavirus relief Read More...

FTC Warns About Unemployment Phishing Texts

Phishing calls have been a ubiquitous part of life since I first held the receiver of a rotary phone. While it might seem easy to make jokes about the outlandishness of identity thieves’ tactics, the reality is that these scams Read More...

Watch Out for the “Dirty Dozen” Tax Scams! (Part 2)

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service publishes a list of 12 scams currently threatening the personal and financial information of taxpayers and tax professionals: The “Dirty Dozen” tax scams. This week, we’re covering the last six scams that the IRS Read More...

Watch Out for the “Dirty Dozen” Tax Scams! (Part 1)

It’s that time of year again. The Internal Revenue Service has once again revealed the “Dirty Dozen” tax-related scams. This annual list routinely highlights a mix of old and new threats targeting taxpayers and tax professionals. Since knowing the signs Read More...

Tax-Related ID Theft Scams Are Still a Threat After Tax Day

The 4th of July is just around the corner, which means outdoor barbecues and longer days closed by the flickering glow of fireflies. After an extended filing season, taxpayers and tax professionals alike are no doubt more than happy to Read More...

Scammers Expected to Target Advance Child Tax Credit Payments

The Internal Revenue Service this week announced in a press release that they have begun sending more than 36 million letters to taxpayers who could be eligible to receive monthly advance payments of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which are Read More...

Don’t Fall for Vehicle Warranty Scams!

The sun is shining, birds are singing, and the tea is sweet. Just as you’re about to relax from a stressful week, your cell rings. It’s an unfamiliar number, but you decide to answer it anyway—what could ruin such a Read More...

Scams Included in the Hurricane Season Forecast

Picking up the pieces after a natural disaster is an exhausting, heartbreaking burden. Cataloguing lost property is just the tip of the iceberg for many disaster victims. Unfortunately, there’s another problem they may not have considered: disaster recovery scams. A Read More...

Crypto Phishing Scams Are Coming to an Inbox Near You

It’s probably not news to anyone that there are billions of dollars tied up in cryptocurrency. Within ten short years, the value of a single bitcoin has shot up to more than $50,000—and there are almost 19 million in circulation. Read More...

Scammers Want to “Sell” You a COVID Vaccine

Running a successful tax and accounting firm requires staying on top of an ever-changing flow of information. New tax laws, software updates, due diligence requirements, and data security all compete for your attention every year. New legislation can have month- Read More...

Identity Thieves Using New COVID Scam

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a dizzying number of new phishing scams. As soon as executive actions and federal legislation roll authorize relief, criminals get to work crafting phone scripts, emails, and websites designed to trick Americans out Read More...

GruntWorx Wins a CPA Practice Advisor Readers’ Choice Award!

It always nice to hear that you’re doing a good job, especially when it comes from customers. In the CPA Practice Advisor 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards, respondents said GruntWorx tax automation products were the best in Other Workflow Tools. But Read More...

New Phishing Scam Targeting Colleges, Universities

Clients generally have tax questions when their children head off to college, but there’s one thing that may not make the list: identity theft phishing scams. A quick survey of social media might lead a reasonable person to believe that Read More...

Watch Out for EIP3 Phishing Scams!

Taxes may be one of life’s constants, but phishing scams are working double time to get added to that infamous list. When the president signed the $1.9 billion coronavirus relief package into law, millions of Americans were guaranteed a third Read More...

IRS Has Tips for Avoiding Tax-Related Scams

Over the last few months, we’ve looked at Federal Trade Commission scam warnings ranging from the pandemic and healthcare to natural disasters and paid tax return preparer EFINs. This week, the Internal Revenue Service published a pair of press releases Read More...

The FTC Wants to Help You Avoid COVID Vaccine Scams

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I want signing up for a COVID vaccine to be more difficult?” If you have, you’re in luck: As part of the National Consumer Protection Week campaign, the Federal Trade Commission is warning that Read More...

Watch Out for Special Enrollment Phishing Scams!

President’s Day is a somber holiday that sees Americans celebrate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln by browsing mattress sales. But this year was a little different. President Biden rolled out a Special Enrollment Period for the Health Read More...

Scammers Targeting Victims of Snow Storms

Don’t kick someone when they’re down. Hopefully, we instead lend a helping hand to those who are hurting. Identity thieves and cybercriminals apparently learned a different lesson growing up. You might not be able to actually see them circling in Read More...

Identity Thieves Want Your EFIN!

This week, we’re taking a break from talking about COVID-19 scams to highlight a warning from the Security Summit about a new phishing email that’s targeting tax professionals. The Summit says that this particular phishing scam tries to get tax Read More...

What Did the FTC Cover During Identity Theft Awareness Week?

The coronavirus pandemic has been a time-bending nightmare for millions of Americans, blending days, weeks, and months into a never-ending malaise. Whether from underemployment, unemployment, or illness, the virus continues to conjure a host of crises. Making matters worse, cybercriminals Read More...

Fake Loan Phishing Scam Targets Small Businesses

Last year was particularly difficult for small businesses. Statewide stay-at-home orders, gathering limitations, and forced closures hammered bottom lines throughout 2020, in some cases causing them to shutter their doors permanently. Making matters worse, small business owners had to contend Read More...

Identity Protection PINs Available for Everybody!

Filing season will be here before we know it. If 2020 was any indicator, tax professionals could see a substantial number of electronic and simple returns as everyone deals with continued social-distancing policies and future Economic Impact Payments. With more Read More...

New Year’s Resolution: Avoid Phishing Scams!

It’s 2021, and you know what that means: new phishing scams! Many phishing scams have a long shelf life, changing just enough to keep with the times. Look no further than a grift that is part of our pop-culture: The Read More...

FTC Warns About New Economic Impact Payment Scams

With the president’s signature on December 27, H.R. 133 provides $900 billion in coronavirus relief for millions of Americans. That money funds a number of targeted programs, like extended unemployment benefits and additional Paycheck Protection Program loans. Those programs are Read More...

Family Emergency Scams, Package Theft, and e-Card Grifts

Christmas will finally arrive next Friday, but hanging the tinsel isn’t the only thing you should do with care. Since scammers don’t take a vacation during the holiday season, be cautious when answering the phone and opening emails—a misstep can Read More...

Phishing Scams Are Another Unwanted Gift

Many Americans are bracing for a different holiday experience in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has been forcing dramatic changes in our work and social lives since it began spreading across the country. Zoom meetings, curbside grocery pickup, and masks are Read More...

We’re Thankful for Scam Prevention Campaigns

It’s a mathematical certainty that every red-blooded American has heard “time is money” before collecting their first paycheck. Since identity thieves have a number of ways to convert your personal information to cash, it may be time to add a Read More...

Non-Filers: The Final EIP Deadline of 2020 is November 21, 2020!

The weekend is normally a time for recharging our batteries and reconnecting with family—or, let’s be real, scrambling to finish your weekly to-do list. This week’s blog is taking a detour from security content to highlight a very timely announcement Read More...

Don’t Forget to Protect Your EFIN

Tax professionals are frequently reminded to protect the personally identifiable information and financial data stored in their databases. It makes sense: Why should identity thieves settle for getting PII one person at a time when cracking one, big egg can Read More...

Got a COVID Text? It Could Be a Scam!

Election Day has come and gone. As the country turns its focus to the remaining ballot count, we can at least take comfort in the two-year break from campaign ads in commercials, emails, and text messages. Unfortunately, the Security Summit Read More...

FTC Warns That Social Media Scams are Surging

Scrolling through Facebook is a daily ritual that consumes more of our time than we’d care to admit, and it’s starting to take up even more. The news has consistently reported that pandemic restrictions on social gatherings have led to Read More...

QR Codes Are Coming to a Tax Bill Near You!

We’re always looking for ideas and technology and that make life more convenient. After all, GruntWorx tax automation products take the tedium out of document organization and data entry. Well, the Internal Revenue Service this month said they’re going to Read More...

Criminals Use Your Information Against You!

By the time your email account is approximately 0.000001 milliseconds old, it receives roughly 3 billion phishing emails. (OK, maybe not literally, but the Scammer Welcoming Committee™ isn’t far behind the “welcome” email you get for creating a web-based email Read More...

Avoid an Indictment from DOJ by Reporting Cryptocurrency to the IRS

John McAfee was indicted by the Department of Justice for 10 counts tax evasion this week, which include hiding a yacht and cryptocurrency investments from the IRS. (It seems like there’s always a yacht involved in alleged tax-evasion schemes.) Best Read More...

Don’t Fall for Ransomware Scams

It’s early Monday morning. You slump into your office chair and try to focus on your monitor over the rim of an oversized cup of coffee. Through bleary eyes, you discover an email from the IRS that says you underreported Read More...

“Waiting Package” Scam is a Bundle of Trouble

It’s no secret that the pandemic increased the number of people who shop online. Before 2020, a bulk shipment of toilet paper on the porch may have hauled neighbors’ eyebrows skyward, but empty paper aisles have made such sights commonplace. Read More...

Watch Out! Charity Scams Looming

September 18, 2020 Wildfires and straight-line winds started tearing across Oregon on September 7, displacing families and businesses in their path. While the Internal Revenue Service this week announced tax relief for those in FEMA-declared disaster areas, good Samaritans are Read More...

Scammers Now Using Pop-Up Tech Support Scams

September 11, 2020 It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has forced many of us indoors for almost all of 2020. If you’re one of the millions of Americans currently teleworking, that means screens for work and entertainment. Unfortunately, there’s Read More...

Scammers Now Impersonating COVID-19 Contact Tracers

Crises can bring people together. When communities are struck by natural disasters, the news is filled with stories that restore our faith in humanity. But not everyone is interested in helping those in need. Identity thieves see suffering as an Read More...

CPA Practice Advisor Review Gives GruntWorx 5 Stars

GruntWorx gets 5 stars in Overall Rating, Core Features for second year in a row! 2020 has been defined by changes. The ongoing pandemic has caused school closures, limited in-person events, and increased Zoom meetings, but one thing has remained Read More...

Written Data Security Plans Close Out Working Virtually Campaign

From multi-factor authentication to Virtual Private Networks, the Security Summit has highlighted data-security tips that would be helpful additions to any tax professional’s security protocols during the five-week Working Virtually campaign. So, it’s only fitting that the Summit closed out Read More...

Phishing Scams Target Tax Pros Too!

There are plenty of things you can try when the fish aren’t biting. When changing bait doesn’t improve your odds, you might even decide to move upstream—even if the thought of leaving your favorite spot seems like heresy. The trick Read More...

VPNs Protect Remote Workers

The Security Summit is acutely aware that many Americans have been working from home due to coronavirus-related safety precautions taken by local authorities and businesses. Following a rigorous data security plan is a cornerstone of any sound business strategy, and Read More...

Use Multi-Factor Authentication!

Managing my email inbox rates somewhere close to standing in line at the DMV: a tedious necessity that threatens to unravel my sanity every time it crosses my mind. Even though sorting emails is like watching paint dry, seeing “unfamiliar Read More...

Six Ways to Protect Your Data

You don’t leave your tax office unlocked after hours. And when clients are attending their appointments, you definitely don’t let them thumb through the filing cabinets before taking a seat in your office. After all, the community has entrusted you Read More...

What Scams are in the IRS 2020 Dirty Dozen?

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service highlights twelve tax scams that fraudsters are using to steal taxpayer information and money. Anyone who has ever suffered identity theft knows that having their personally identifiable information hijacked is just a step away Read More...

IRS Warns of Scams Targeting Non-English Speaking Taxpayers

We haven’t covered tax-related identity theft in a few weeks, but it’s time to once again see what the belly-crawling identity thieves are doing to steal personally identifiable information. Fraudsters have set their sights on non-English speaking taxpayers, according to Read More...

No, Tax Day Isn’t Moving

File that stack of returns and extensions by July 15! This weekend, millions of Americans are going to celebrate the Fourth of July. Hotdogs, fireworks, and traffic jams are usually the first things that come to mind, but—at the risk Read More...

The Next Generation of Tax Software

When deciding on a software purchase, the most common first step is to read reviews from reliable publications. The questions consumers want to see answered are simple but important: Does it work? Is it easy to use? Would you recommend Read More...

FTC Unveils COVID-19 Scam Database

The myriad ways scammers try to steal our information can be dizzying. Simply spreading awareness of the term “phishing” has been a goal of the Security Summit—a partnership between the IRS, state departments of revenue, and members of the tax Read More...

IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Moving Online

Coronavirus seemingly won’t be content until it has body slammed all of our tax industry traditions. Unfortunately, the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums are latest of our idols to fall under the hammer of COVID-19—sort of. The Internal Revenue Service recently Read More...

Identity Thieves Focus on College Students

There’s another COVID-19 phishing scam! College students—famous for never being strapped for cash—are starting to see coronavirus phishing scams show up in their inboxes, according to a recent warning from the FTC. As we’ve said more times than we care Read More...

Security Protocols

As of July 16th , GruntWorx will discontinue support of TLS 1.0/1.1 security protocols as they provide inadequate encryption for the transfer of client data across the Internet. As of this date, GruntWorx users must have TLS 1.2/1.3 installed on Read More...

IRS Embraces Teleconferencing

The Internal Revenue Service initiated a work-from-home model for most of its employees at the beginning of April in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, temporarily suspending services that require in-house staff, like processing paper returns, face-to-face meetings Read More...

Who Should Use Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here on IRS.gov?

Our recent blogs have focused on new online tools for reporting Economic Impact Payment information and scams targeting EIP recipients. Today, we’re going to look at a recently published IRS release to better understand who should use the Non-Filers: Enter Read More...

IRS Plugs EIP Deadline for SSI and VA Beneficiaries with Dependents, “Get My Payment” Improvements

Many are still dealing with the constraints of financial hardships due to coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders. Luckily, a pair of recent IRS announcements should help Americans who still need to report qualifying information receive their Economic Impact Payment. The agency reminded Read More...

New EIP Resources Are Available on IRS.gov

Last week, we looked at the new Economic Impact Payment scams that identity thieves were launching against Americans who are already reeling from the whiplash of life during the COVID-19 epidemic. At least non-filers who aren’t set to automatically receive Read More...

How Do My Clients Qualify for an Economic Impact Payment?

Working remotely, rotating shifts, face masks, and social distancing are all becoming normal parts of our daily life in the US due to precautions taken to slow the spread of COVID-19. The sad reality is that these concessions aren’t available Read More...

Don’t Fall for the Coronavirus Stimulus Scam!

Do not respond to phone calls, emails, social media posts, or text messages asking for more information to process your “stimulus check.” The COVID-19 outbreak has led to many changes that would have seemed unthinkable just a few months ago. Read More...

The 2020 CPA Practice Advisor Readers’ Choice Awards Have Arrived

GruntWorx gets the highest rating for Workflow Tools! For 16 years, CPA Practice Advisor has surveyed tax professionals to learn what they thought about the tax preparation tools they’ve been using. With all of the 2020 votes in, respondents gave Read More...

The New Filing and Payment Deadline is July 15

Taxpayers are given an additional 90 days to file a return and pay tax owed. Toilet paper shortages, school closures, and empty bread aisles are making us all worry about what the future holds for jobs, child care, and at-risk Read More...

Secretary Mnuchin Says Marijuana Taxes are a Drag

When tax season rolls around, many state-legalized marijuana dispensaries have to make their tax payments to the Internal Revenue Service in cash. Imagine Uncle Billy from It’s a Wonderful Life shoving money in an envelope, and you’re close to what Read More...

Are Fortnite V-bucks Taxable?

The world of virtual currency is looking less like the Wild West these days. Once hailed as the crowbar that would finally pry banks from online transactions, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are being hoarded by corporations with the resources to efficiently Read More...

The IRS Has Refund Help for Your Clients

It’s almost refund time! (We’re sure your tax clients haven’t noticed.) With the President’s Day rush in the rear-view mirror, filing season is officially on the downhill sprint to April 15. It also means that many early filers—including those claiming Read More...

Phishing Goes Viral

New scam stokes fear amid coronavirus outbreak. Fear is a powerful motivator. Worse, being afraid can lead to hasty decisions of the unfortunate variety. Despite that warning being seared into our memory, people still make questionable choices in the heat Read More...

Check Out Identity Theft Central on IRS.gov

Email inboxes are a prime target for identity thieves. That’s why we looked at Security Summit recommendations for avoiding tax-related phishing scams last week. Well, the IRS just unveiled a new online resource dedicated to aggregating information about tax-related identity Read More...

Learning to Spot Phishing Scams

Identity thieves ramp up phishing scams during filing season. The first full week of the tax year 2019 filing season is in the books, but it’s a long road to April 15. Tax professionals across the country are bracing for Read More...

Ghost Preparers Targeting Taxpayers

What is a “Ghost” Preparer? We may have put Halloween back in its crypt, but the Internal Revenue Service says that taxpayers need to worry about “‘ghost’ preparers” who promise huge tax refund payouts. The agency says in its press Read More...

Physical Data Security Tips for a Digital World

Filing season officially starts in ten days! Before the panic washes over you, remember that the Internal Revenue Service has been hard at work developing resources that will help tax professionals be ready by January 27. This week, they issued Read More...

Writing a Data Security Plan

We discussed the IRS recommendations for improving the passwords you use to secure online accounts last week. Keeping that data-security theme going strong, this week we’re going to briefly look at written data security plans. Why do I need a Read More...

Start the New Year with Better Passwords

New Year’s resolutions are probably a tired cliché at this point. A lot of people resolve to join a gym or give up smoking (or both), but—in addition to all the things that can improve your physical health—we’d like to Read More...

New IRS Employee-Withholding Tool Could Help Your Small Business Clients

Have any of your small business clients ever wanted an easier way to handle employee withholding than manually calculating it with a little help from Publication 15-T? Well, you may be in luck: In an effort to improve the service Read More...

Lien on Me: IRS Warns of Tax Scam

Read More...

Withholding Calculator Replaced on IRS.gov

We love technology around here, so when there’s news of new tools that can boost efficiency or help your clients, we’re happy to pass along that information. It turns out that a recent Internal Revenue Service press release highlights something Read More...

GruntWorx Rated 5 Stars by CPA Practice Advisor

Practice Advisor reviews tax industry-specific software every year. In addition to looking at leading tax preparation packages, the publication also evaluates specialized software. This week, CPA Practice Advisor released the results of the 2019 Review of Tax Document Automation Systems, Read More...

I Received a Letter from the IRS! What Should I Do?

Would you believe that the Internal Revenue Service wants to make sure that it gets tax dollars from cryptocurrency transactions? Shocking, I know. Well, it turns out the subpoena the IRS sent to Coinbase in 2016 wasn’t the last time Read More...

IRS Releases Tax Security Checklist

Developing a data security plan can be intimidating, whether you’re new to data security or simply worry about developing a plan for the whole firm. After all, it’s one thing to download security software for your personal computer and another Read More...

ETAAC Issued Security Recommendations

Last month, the IRS reported that the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) had submitted its annual report to Congress. The focus of that 60-page document is a list of ten recommendations designed to thwart the efforts of criminals perpetrating Read More...

Taxpayer Advocate Suggests Tech Solutions for IRS Support

The National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson may be retiring at the end of July, but according to a recent IRS press release, she had to issue one final report to Congress before riding off into the sunset. As with many Read More...

Facebook Getting in the Crypto Game

Tuesday morning wasn’t different from other mornings. My daughter’s cries announced to the world that she was ready to face the day, kickstarting the morning ritual of diapers and coffee—usually in that order. Little did I know that the tech Read More...

Two New Scams Targeting Taxpayers

A quick glance out the window tells me it’s going to be a beautiful day: The sun is shining, and only the hint of clouds paint the clear blue sky. It’s the tail end of spring, and that means sweet Read More...

Say Goodbye to Faxing Tax Transcripts

We’ve all been there. You’re walking past the office printer just as it screeches a faxed document into existence. Sometimes you’re expecting the fax; sometimes you need a defibrillator. For tax professionals trying to get tax transcripts for their clients, Read More...

IRS Reminds Taxpayers about Natural Disaster Resources

Natural disasters can be terrifying, and they leave destruction in their wake. Fortunately, planning ahead can mitigate some losses, and that’s precisely the aim of recent IRS press releases. For Hurricane Preparedness Week, the IRS issued tips for developing an Read More...

Data Security and More Covered at IRS Tax Forums

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: Read More...

It’s National Small Business Week!

Last week, we noted that the IRS was going to celebrate National Small Business Week by issuing a series of press releases containing advice for the nation’s small business owners: you know, the sole proprietors, partnerships, pass-through entities, and independent Read More...

IRS Celebrating Small Business Week

It’s no secret that there was a little confusion surrounding changes in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. While we’re officially done with the first filing season to feature the vast majority of changes stemming from that legislation, Read More...

IRS IT Systems to Get Facelift?

Simply put, the Internal Revenue Service needs to update its information technology systems. Aside from being a recommendation by National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson, the IRS last week announced that it would resume implementation of the IRS Integrated Modernization Business Read More...

Success for the Security Summit’s Data Security Outreach

When it comes to data security, we tend to focus on new threats and how to deal with them around here. Whether looking at the need for having a secure password or outlining the worst scams on the IRS’ radar, Read More...

IRS Gearing Up for Nationwide Tax Forums

Earn CPE while preparing for next tax season! We may be on the other side of filing season, but that doesn’t mean a tax professional’s work is done (like I even needed to remind you). Your clients may not realize Read More...

New Bill Proposes a “21st Century IRS”

It’s probably an understatement to suggest that cybersecurity is a priority for the IRS. While the agency has traditionally issued press releases identifying identity theft scams and other security threats, they partnered with state tax agencies and other members of Read More...

The IRS 2019 “Dirty Dozen” Tax Scams

Each filing season, the IRS releases a list of the twelve tax-related scams that either target or are used by taxpayers: the so-called “Dirty Dozen.” Every day for twelve weekdays, the agency spotlights a new scam that can cause serious Read More...

Changes Coming to EIN Application Process, IRS Says

Today, we’re taking out data-security tour to what at first glance might seem like a detour: the Employer Identification Number (EIN). You probably guessed by the title of this blog post that we’re bringing it up because the IRS recently Read More...

The IRS Says a Cybersecurity Professional Can Help Protect Your Business

Aside from an ever-present threat to businesses and individuals alike, cybercrime is something of a mystery to the average public. Just because their motivation is basic—a quick payday—doesn’t mean their methods are easy to understand. Luckily, an entire industry has Read More...

Facebook to Improve User Privacy

A few weeks ago, we looked at steps taxpayers can take to protect their personally identifiable information (PII). Aside from strategies like installing security software and learning to spot identity-theft scams, the IRS also recommended being discrete in how you Read More...

So, Your Data Was Stolen

Last week, we discussed IRS tips for keeping your personally identifiable information (PII) safe, but what happens if—despite your best efforts—you or your business are affected by data theft? That deer-in-the-headlights look is a completely understandable byproduct of learning that Read More...

IRS Has Data Security Advice for Your Clients

We’re well into filing season, and that means cybercriminals will be stepping up their game to steal personally identifiable information (PII), which probably explains the timing of a recent IRS Tax Tip included data security advice for taxpayers. If your Read More...

Tool Can Help Clients Worried About Their Refund

The IRS may be reporting that the average tax refund is down 8 percent when compared to this time last year, but that doesn’t mean taxpayers won’t be keen to get their hands on any money they’re owed by the Read More...

How Do You Pick a Password Manager?

You’ve no doubt suffered through the grueling password strength checker attached to most web-based email services. While passphrases are an easy-to-remember solution for the jumbled collection of special characters, numbers, and upper- and lower-case letters that usually pass muster, you Read More...

Have TCJA-Related Business Questions?

The IRS Has Guides for Business-Related Tax Changes Monday, January 28 marked the start of filing season for 2019, which means millions of tax-year 2018 individual and business returns will start being sent to the Internal Revenue Service. While taxpayers Read More...

IRS Releases Shutdown Plan

Filing season officially begins on Monday, but the partial federal government shutdown has lurched into history as the longest U.S. shutdown ever. The State of the Union address may have to wait until the doors reopen for business, but the Read More...

Will the IRS Issue Tax Refunds During the Partial Federal Government Shutdown?

Instead of data security issues, today, we’re going to take a quick look at the partial federal government shutdown—though you could certainly make the case that the FDA halting food inspections does threaten taxpayer security. Anyway, let’s review whether the Read More...

GruntWorx Again Completes SSAE 18 Examination

At a time when reading about retail stores, social media platforms, and credit reporting agencies being affected by data breaches is becoming commonplace, knowing whether a company takes data security seriously can ultimately influence customer purchases. When it comes to Read More...

IRS Says New Process for Issuing Tax Transcripts is More Secure

It’s no secret that identity thieves use stolen personally identifiable information (PII) to fraudulently file tax returns, which is why the Internal Revenue Service and members of the tax industry have been working diligently to improve data security for taxpayers Read More...

Two New Phishing Email Scams for Christmas

You probably won’t believe this, but the Internal Revenue Service reported new phishing email scams are targeting tax professionals. In one of this week’s IRS Newswire press releases, the agency identified two scams using “business email compromise/business email spoofing (BEC/BES) Read More...

New Tax Transcript Scam Targets Tax Professionals

It won’t come as a shock to tax professionals across the country when they learn there is a new tax-related identity theft scam targeting the tax industry. While the general tactic is something tax pros are accustomed to dealing with—a Read More...

IRS Criminal Investigators Have Successful 2018

This blog spends a lot of time covering the various scams and cybercrimes that target tax professionals. So much in fact that you might start to think the future is pretty bleak when it comes to protecting your data. Luckily, Read More...

Don’t Forget to Renew Your PTIN!

Now that turkey dinners are in the rear view, the December holiday festivities are just a few weeks away—but it’s not quite time to rest on pre-filing season laurels. Despite 2019 being around the corner, some tax professionals still need Read More...

GruntWorx Implements Two-Factor Authentication Ahead of Tax Season

At a time when having a written data security plan is required of tax professionals by the Federal Trade Commission, the importance of protecting the financial information collected from tax clients cannot be understated. Even if tax professionals weren’t handed Read More...

National Tax Security Week is (Almost) Here!

The first week in December is almost upon us. While that usually means frantically searching Amazon for gifts you missed on Black Friday and Cyber Monday (or, I suppose, “Cyber Week”), for the last three years, it has been National Read More...

5 Disastrous Mistakes Tax Pros Make

Identifying problem areas is an essential part of improving a business, and running a tax practice is no different. Whether thinking about developing an effective advertising campaign or streamlining workflow, knowing how to spot common pitfalls can make developing a Read More...

GRUNTWORX NEW RELEASE INCLUDES TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

GruntWorx, LLC, has released an updated user portal for the upcoming filing season. The release streamlines the user interface, adds new administrator and user settings and incorporates two-factor authentication to improve the security of customer accounts for the tax year Read More...

Need Lost Paperwork to Make an Insurance Claim After the Hurricanes? The IRS has Advice

This week we’re continuing to look at hurricane relief efforts. While previous blogs covered how to avoid being scammed when contributing to charitable organizations and how the IRS expanded tax relief for areas affected by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, today Read More...

IRS Gives Tax Relief to More Hurricane Victims

Hurricane Michael is one of the most catastrophic storms in recent memory. A Category 4 hurricane when it made landfall, it cut a path of devastation from Florida to Virginia. To make matters worse, Hurricane Michael came right after Hurricane Read More...

The Facebook Hack: What Should You Do?

From international corporations to local businesses, entrepreneurs across the country have embraced Facebook as an integral part of their online presence. Given a late-June CNN report that the social media platform now has more than 2 billion users, that makes Read More...

IRS Has Tips for Identifying Data Theft

You may have created a data security plan for your office with all the bells and whistles—employee training, security software, offsite data backups, secure client-facing portals, and more—but do you know how to spot what the Internal Revenue Service calls Read More...

Avoid Giving Money to Fake Charities

Our offices in Franklin, NC may have been spared devastating winds and torrential flooding, but much of North Carolina and South Carolina are dealing with the effects of Hurricane Florence. That means recovery efforts are underway, and good-hearted people across Read More...

Tax Law Changes a Tax-Planning Opportunity

One of the most well-known changes in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the adjustment to tax brackets. While many Americans may be paying less in tax than last year, there are still those who need to double check Read More...

IRS to Tax Pros: “Encrypt Client Data”

The IRS recently reminded tax return preparers that an essential component of data security plans is data encryption. Taxpayers entrust tax return preparers with the data that informs almost every aspect of their finances, and cyber criminals know it. That’s Read More...

The Importance of Having a Security Plan

Last week, the transformer supplying power to the downtown area went down during a particularly nasty thunder storm. After gathering my things and cranking the truck, I braced myself: there were no working traffic lights for several blocks, and my Read More...

IRS Subpoena to Increase Voluntary Cryptocurrency Reporting?

So what happened? It turns out that a currency designed to provide anonymity might encourage some investors to neglect reporting their earnings to the IRS. At the end of 2016, the IRS served a summons to Coinbase—the largest cryptocurrency exchange Read More...

You Need to Understand Tech

They put the “IT” in the humanities. When clicking through some TED Talks last week, I came across entrepreneur Eric Berridge’s “Why Tech Needs the Humanities.” As someone with a Master of Arts in English, you could say my interest Read More...

5G and the Future of Accounting

How is a cellphone network going to revolutionize tax preparation? If you’ve regularly upgraded your cell phone over the past few years, you might remember the sales representative’s not-so-subtle enthusiasm for the then-brand new wireless network: 3G. As a former Read More...

Blue Light Special: Screen Time and Your Health

When I wake up, I quietly check the news on my phone before slipping into my truck to drive to the gym, where I’ll read articles between sets. At work, I spend countless hours hammering away at my keyboard and Read More...

Three Things to Help You Address Data Security Now

It’s July, and that means firing up the grill and staring at elaborate, choreographed pyrotechnic displays. It also means taking classes to earn CPE and thinking ahead to filing season. Don’t neglect data security in the off-season! Since 2015, the Read More...

Under the Sea (Where the Internet Lives)

Under the Sea (Where the Internet Lives) Today we’re going to discuss the Internet. Once you recover from the shock of a tech-focused blog covering technology, let’s get to the question of the day: How is the Internet in the Read More...

What is the Dark Web?

You’ve probably heard about Social Security Numbers and credit card numbers being sold on the “Dark Web,” but you may not know exactly what that means. Before taking a brief look at the Dark Web and how it may impact Read More...

You Might Have Been Cryptojacked

You Might Have Been Cryptojacked There’s a familiar sound that could spell trouble for your computer: the whirring of your CPU fan. In a development that should surprise no one, cybercriminals are hacking into computers and using them to mine Read More...

Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and You

Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and You If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you may have missed the Cambridge Analytica story that broke in mid-March. The controversy has certainly helped highlight data-privacy issues, like who has Read More...

Atlanta Hit with Ransomware

We usually cover the dangers of ransomware in don’t-let-cyber-criminals-hold-your-data-hostage terms. The situation in Atlanta at the end of March highlights how this type of scam can have very serious consequences. When was the city of Atlanta affected by ransomware? In Read More...

Data Breaches, New and Old

Remember the good old days when you didn’t hear about a data breach every few months? Me neither. If we can’t avoid the fact that retailers and financial institutions are going to be targets for cybercriminals, we might as well Read More...

Artificial Intelligence, Cars, and the Future of Transportation

Daydreaming about paging through a favorite book rather than actually driving your hour-long commute may seem like a passing fantasy, but we are getting much closer to that reality. Now before you get too excited, let’s pump the brakes and Read More...

Is Your Smart TV Secure?

We’ve all been there: it’s Friday night, and you can’t connect to Netflix. After successfully pulling up Facebook, the horror sets in: there’s a problem with Netflix. So you grudgingly settle for scrolling through your news feed, instead of binge Read More...

New Tax Scam Making the Rounds

Security Summit partners helped reduce confirmed cases of tax-related identity theft by 32 percent and taxpayer-reported incidents by 40 percent in 2017, while the financial industry helped the IRS recover 144,000 refunds. These successes have forced scammers to evolve their Read More...

GruntWorx Wins Two Categories in CPA Practice Advisor Readers’ Choice Awards

Every year, CPA Practice Advisor surveys their readers to learn what software and hardware tax professionals prefer when preparing returns. This year’s results are compiled in the recently published 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards, and GruntWorx once again scored high marks Read More...

Cryptocurrency: What Does IRS Have to Say About Bitcoin?

Last week we discussed the recent crash in the cryptocurrency market, and this week we’re looking at how IRS addresses virtual currencies like Bitcoin. What does IRS have to say about Bitcoin? What is the official IRS stance regarding all Read More...

Cryptocurrency: The King is Dead, or Is It?

There’s much being said about Bitcoin’s dip in value last month. The chatter might make you ask if cryptocurrency really is just a fad that will fizzle like the Dot-com bubble or if there is long-term value in its emergent Read More...

Gone Phishing

Let’s get the old news out of the way: tax season starts on January 29, 2018. Now, before you start blowing a sad-sounding slide whistle to lament having a week less than last year, let’s think about the silver lining: Read More...

Data Breach, Security Risk Helps Ring in the New Year

We made it through another year with aplomb—or at least that’s what we tell ourselves after making another successful orbit around the Sun. Rather than doing a “the year that was,” we’ve decided to instead examine “the weeks that just Read More...

GruntWorx Successfully Completes SSAE 18 Type 2 SOC 1 Examination

What happened? GruntWorx successfully completed the AICPA’s Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements Number 18 (SSAE 18) Type 2 SOC 1 examination that was administered by an independent CPA firm, Schellman & Company, LLC. SSAE 18 a new standard involving Read More...

Protecting Your Data When Holiday Shopping

There may not be crowds of people swarming malls for Black Friday deals like schools of piranha, but there is still plenty of holiday shopping to be done—especially if you’re a last minute shopper. Many stores are extending online and Read More...

You Should Use Multi-Factor Authentication

The Security Summit wants to help you protect your data Since the IRS, state tax agencies, and the tax industry banded together in 2015 to form the Security Summit, data security has been a primary topic for tax professionals. That’s Read More...

You Probably Need to Patch a Wi-Fi Security Vulnerability

What is WPA2? Many routers, including my own, utilize the Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) security protocol to protect wireless local area network communications. Depending on your level of familiarity with adjusting router settings—or the number of times you’ve been Read More...

Improving Your Passwords

Protecting your data should be a top priority Tax season is getting closer, which means installing current-year tax preparation software and—inevitably—being prompted to create a new login password. What’s a bad password? It turns out that “password” isn’t a good Read More...

Stop Using Email to Transfer Sensitive Documents

Standard email services aren’t the most secure platforms for exchanging sensitive tax information with a client. In other news, water is wet. The increasing frequency of security breaches and an emphasis on transitioning to a paperless office highlights the importance Read More...

Dealing with the Equifax Data Breach

Another day—another data breach. Back in September, the Equifax data breach was briefly the top news story. It affected roughly one half of the taxpaying adults in the United States—around 145 million by recent estimates—providing cybercriminals with sensitive financial data. Read More...

The Blockchain, Not Just Part of Bitcoin

This summer, we covered Bitcoin and its relationship to recent ransomware attacks, but today we want to briefly examine the protocol undergirding Bitcoin—the blockchain—to see why it may be more important to the financial industry than the famous digital currency. Read More...

3 Tips for Successfully Integrating a Paperless Solution

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or a member of a large firm, you know there’s still truth in the cliché, “time equals money.” Maximizing efficiency is vital to your tax office’s bottom line, and that’s why everyone keeps looking for Read More...

Mobile Security Tips

By the time you read this blog, it’s likely that you’ve seen at least one or two stories in your Google Alerts concerning data security. In fact, we just finished a series of posts related to ransomware that included several Read More...

Bitcoin, Meet Bitcoin Cash

In our three-part series, “Understanding Ransomware,” we discussed three topics related to recent ransomware scams: attack prevention, victims’ response, and cybercriminals’ preferred payment method. Published in late July, the article covering payment briefly explained how Bitcoin works and why ransomware Read More...

Understanding Ransomware: Dealing with an Attack

Tax professionals are not strangers to phishing scams, and one of the most malicious varieties has seen an uptick in activity. Today we’re wrapping up the final entry in our three part series about ransomware, which will cover what to Read More...

Understanding Ransomware: Preventing an Attack

The second in a three-part series inspired by recent ransomware attacks, this blog will focus on easy steps you can take to prevent a ransomware attack. To provide some perspective, we interviewed a few IT professionals. But before we dive Read More...

Understanding Ransomware: The Bitcoin

In the wake of another ransomware attack that at times asks victims to submit payment in the form of the digital currency Bitcoin, we decided to create a three-part series that 1) examines digital currencies, 2) discusses how to protect Read More...

Need Help Implementing GruntWorx at your Tax Office?

If you’ve been thinking of trying GruntWorx but aren’t sure how to begin, we have the perfect white paper for you. “A Tale of Two Firms: Identifying the Rules for Rolling Out a Successful Paperless Tax Workflow” is a case Read More...

Spreadsheets, Automation, and Changing the Future

Remember back in May when I said I am a fan of podcasts? Well, today’s blog is inspired by another one. Planet Money is an entertaining, business-focused podcast that covers myriad topics: presidential budgets, trademarks, slot machines, and—what I want Read More...

Electronic Payments to Replace Check Payments for Letter Rulings

Clients looking to request letter ruling, closing agreements, and some other rulings from the Internal Revenue Service will be able to submit user fee payments online starting June 15. According to an IRS release last week, this change marks the Read More...

Last Call for Tax Forum Early Bird Discount

Undoubtedly, tax professionals across the country are making plans to attend the annual IRS Tax Forums, a series of live events offering tax professionals the opportunity to communicate with IRS representatives in person concerning federal and state tax issues. The Read More...

Memorial Day Reminder: IRS E-Services will be Down for Maintenance

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that it will again be performing its annual Memorial Day systems maintenance. The IRS will take down its E-Services Transcript Delivery System, TIN Matching, e-file, and ACA applications on Friday, May 26 at 6:00 Read More...

Breaking Down Tax Prep

It should come as no surprise that we’re fans of technology around here. And one of my personal favorite podcasts, Science Friday, has a series called Science Friday Spoonfuls: contemporary science stories tailored for classroom use. While scrolling through various Read More...

When the IRS Comes Knocking

Another tax season has come and gone, and, inevitably, that means there are people who missed the deadline. You have undoubtedly advised clients who missed the deadline about late-filing and late-payment penalties and the interest that will be due on Read More...

100 Million Down 40 Million to Go

40 Million Taxpayers Have Yet to File t Tuesday marks the end of another tax season, and that means most tax professionals are currently in the midst of their busiest time of year. The IRS is even keeping their customer Read More...

IRS Extends Customer Service Call Hours

IRS Call Centers Open on Saturday We’re in the home stretch of tax season and that generally means those last-minute filers are coming out of the woodwork to get their returns sent to the IRS in time. While this can Read More...

IRS Provides Guidance for New Research Credit Option

The Internal Revenue Service last Thursday provided interim guidance for small businesses looking to take advantage of the new option for claiming the research credit. The December 2015 Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act – aside from requiring the Read More...

Crossing the Digital Divide with Your Tax Practice

If we take the Pew Research Center’s word for it, I qualify as a millennial – what many think of as a “digital native.” Despite that label, I remember flipping through the card catalogue for research papers before my family Read More...

IRS’s 2017 “Dirty Dozen”

Scams Include Tax-Related ID Theft, Tax Shelters Each year, the IRS releases their list of the “Dirty Dozen” scams to inform taxpayers about criminals who hope to capitalize on a busy, stressful time of year for tax professionals and their Read More...

IRS Issues Refund Reminder

As part of the Avoid the Rush tax tip series, the IRS yesterday reminded taxpayers about Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) refund delays. In addition to how weekends and Presidents Day fall on the Read More...

Tax Pros Vote GruntWorx #1 in CPA Practice Advisor Readers’ Choice Awards

CPA Practice Advisor today announced the results of their 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards, a survey that asks readers to rate tax software and hardware. GruntWorx won for the following categories: Specialty Systems Tax Prep Tool This category is dedicated to Read More...

Security Summit to Tax Preparers: Monitor EFIN Activity

The Internal Revenue Service released yet another tax tip as part of the Security Summit’s Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself initiative this week, this time highlighting another way for tax professionals to spot signs of Read More...

“Taxes. Security. Together” Campaign Provides Taxpayers Tips for Spotting Tax-Related Identity Theft

Click here to view GruntWorx Job Opportunities Tax professionals around the country are preparing for the start of filing season on January 23: learning the updates to their tax software, reviewing changes to tax law, training seasonal staff, and – Read More...

IRS Releases Information on Developing a Data Security Plan for Tax Professionals

Cybercriminals have been busy for the past few years. They have increasingly targeted taxpayers and tax professionals alike with phishing scams and other types of tax-related fraud. While the Security Summit – a partnership between the IRS, state tax agencies, Read More...

Planning Ahead for Health Care-Related Tax

The Internal Revenue Service this week suggested that taxpayers consider checking their eligibility for health care-related tax exemptions. Taxpayers who plan their finances around a refund check may be better able to budget during tax season by researching their options Read More...

IRS Announces the First Day of Tax Season, Issues Refund Delay Reminder

Tax professionals across the country are gearing up for tax season, which the Internal Revenue Service today announced will officially begin on January 23, 2017. The press release included yet another reminder about PATH Act-delayed refunds: taxpayers claiming the Earned Read More...

National Tax Security Awareness Week

“National Tax Security Awareness Week” to Provide Ways to Keep Data Secure Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season, and Security Summit partners hope “National Tax Security Awareness Week” will help taxpayers avoid identity thieves’ scams by providing consumer Read More...

Taxpayers Receiving Advance Payment of Premium Tax Credit (PTC) Must File ASAP to Maintain PTC Eligibility

Any taxpayers who haven’t filed a federal tax return but received an advance PTC payment in 2015 are likely see a letter from the Internal Revenue Service very soon. The IRS issued a health care tax tip last week reminding Read More...

IRS to Taxpayers: New Factors Could Change Your Withholding

Due to a tax law requiring the Internal Revenue Service hold on to returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), the agency this week recommended taxpayers perform a “mid-year checkup” for their tax Read More...

Attention Truckers: Don’t Forget the Form 2290 Deadline!

If any of your clients are big-rig truckers, then Friday’s deadline reminder from the IRS applies directly to them. Vehicles at or above 55,000 pounds of taxable gross weight require Form 2290, Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return – which Read More...

Helping Clients Get a Tax Transcript

One of the latest “Summertime Tax Tips” from the IRS included information about requesting a transcript or copy of the prior-year tax return. Aside from using these tax records to file for home or business loans, they are particularly relevant Read More...

IRS: PTC Payment Recipients Should Report Changes in Income or Family Size

The IRS this week issued a reminder to taxpayers who receive premium tax credit (PTC) advance payments, noting that some circumstance changes could result in the household owing additional money next April. A number of circumstances can result in a Read More...

IRS Says Security Summit Yields Positive Results

On June 28, private- and public-sector tax administration leaders met to review what had been accomplished in 2016 and plan for next year, concluding that the Security Summit’s past efforts reduced the number of would-be victims. The 2016 protocols included Read More...

Child Day Care Expenses May Qualify for a Tax Credit

June is almost over, and for many working parents that means their children have been enrolled in a summer day camp for the past few months. Summer camps come in all shapes and sizes – some focus on athletic activities Read More...

IRS Reminds Taxpayers of June 30 Deadline

We’re halfway through June, and the IRS wants to make sure that the deadline for some foreign accounts isn’t forgotten while everyone is planning their July 4 festivities. Today they issued information about two important forms that will be due Read More...

Online Tools Estimate ACA-Related Tax Liability

The IRS yesterday issued a reminder about the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS). TaxpayerAdvocate.IRS.gov has several available tools to help estimate ACA-related credits and payments for, which the IRS email divided into two categories: employers and individuals. TAS provides two employer-specific Read More...

IRS’s “Get Transcript Online” Program to Enter Beta Testing Soon

In line with the IRS’s Future State goal of broadening online customer service options, the IRS recently announced that new authentication and access measures for Get Transcript will soon enter beta testing. This announcement comes almost one full year after Read More...

The IRS Recommends Getting a “PTC Check-Up”

This Wednesday marks one full month since the end of tax season for the majority of the country, and that means that many tax professionals are returning from a well-deserved vacation. Even for those who haven’t had a chance to Read More...

GruntWorx Wins Again in 2016

Last week CPA Practice Advisor announced the results of their 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards, which asked readers to rate the tax software-related programs and hardware they rely on during the frenetic days of filing season. The survey featured more than Read More...

Gruntworx, LLC Completes SSAE 16 Type II Examination

Gruntworx, LLC, a Drake Enterprises company and leader in SaaS-based paperless tax workflow systems, today announced that it has completed its annual Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No.16 examination. The 2014 SSAE 16 report was compiled by the Read More...

Browse By Topic

Paste your AdWords Remarketing code here
Browse GruntWorx

GruntWorx, LLC.

Font Resize
Contrast