The IRS is asking for help from tax professionals. This week begins the IRS’ 2021 Security Summit – a five-week campaign focusing on raising awareness of tax-related identity theft. The summit is aimed at tax professionals, who are often key targets of hackers and scammers due to poor security efforts. IRS Commissioner, Chuck Rettig, is urging tax professionals to do their part, stating, “The Security Summit continues to work cooperatively to battle tax-related identity theft, but we need the help of tax professionals in this effort.” In the first half of 2021 alone, 222 data thefts have been reported to the IRS. This number has already surpassed previous years, with 211 reports in 2020 and 124 in 2019.
This year’s Security Summit will cover simple steps tax professionals can take to protect their data from theft, and new information will be available every Tuesday over the next five weeks. Click here to read highlighted recommendations from the IRS.
