Small Office
[$1,500] flat
Includes up to 4 hours of hands-on fixes.
Everything in “What you get.”
Tax Season Ready · Tri-Cities tax & accounting offices
Your security plan, done before filing season.
§01Symptoms
Sound familiar?
- You know you're supposed to have a security plan, but you don't have time to write one.
- You checked the box on your PTIN renewal, and you're not sure your office actually complies.
- You downloaded the IRS template, got a few pages in, and never finished it.
- Filing season is coming, and from January to April there's no time to think about this.
§02The rule
What the law says
- Federal law (the FTC Safeguards Rule, under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) treats paid tax preparers as financial institutions and requires them to have a written information security plan.Sources: FTC Safeguards Rule business guide, IRS Publication 4557 (PDF)
- Preparers acknowledge this requirement on IRS Form W-12 when they apply for or renew their PTIN.Source: IRS Form W-12 (PDF)
- The IRS publishes guidance and a sample plan: Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, and Publication 5708, Creating a Written Information Security Plan for Your Tax & Accounting Practice.Sources: IRS Publication 4557 (PDF), IRS Publication 5708 (PDF)
- Firms holding information on fewer than 5,000 consumers are exempt from a few of the rule's requirements, such as a written risk assessment and a written incident response plan, but still need a WISP.Sources: 16 CFR 314.6 (eCFR), FTC Safeguards Rule business guide
A plain summary, not legal advice. Dane Pollard is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the IRS or FTC.
§03Included
What you get
A WISP written for your office, plus the fixes that make it true.
A one-hour walkthrough interview
On-site or by video.
A written information security plan
Built on the IRS's own framework and tailored to your office.
A gap check against the plan
Multi-factor login, backups, access controls, device and email security, secure disposal.
Hands-on fixes for the common gaps
Setting up multi-factor login, confirming backups actually restore, tightening who can access what. Includes up to 4 hours; larger projects are quoted separately.
A short staff walkthrough of the plan
A plain-English summary page
One page the owner can keep at the front desk.
§04Process
How it works
- 01Start here
Book a free 20-minute call.
A quick look at what you run and whether this is a fit.
- 02
One-hour walkthrough.
I ask the questions; you answer. No homework.
- 03
Plan + fixes.
I write the plan and fix the common gaps I find. Up to 4 hours of fixes are included; anything bigger gets a quote first.
- 04
Hand-off.
You get the plan, a one-page summary, and a short staff walkthrough.
Turnaround: [X] business days from the interview to the finished plan.
§05Pricing
Pricing
Firm
From [$2,500]
Includes up to 4 hours of hands-on fixes.
Everything in “What you get.” Quoted after the intro call.
Optional extras
- Ongoing Review Add at signup or anytime
- [$X/month]Keeps your plan current year-round: a yearly plan update, staff refresher, and check-in, plus a call whenever something in your office changes.
- Paper-to-Searchable Add-on
- [$X per box]Prior-year paper files converted to searchable PDFs on an offline machine. Nothing goes to the cloud. Priced per standard banker's box, up to about 2,500 pages.
Book by [December 12, 2026] for delivery before filing season.
§06Who
Who does the work
As COO, I helped grow a Tri-Cities company from 3 to 20+ people and owned its technology, security, and vendor decisions. As Head of Engineering, I built the intake software it still runs on.
Tax Season Ready is one focused offer from Pollard & Co, my operations and technology practice in Richland. If the WISP turns up more than a few fixes (old software, too many vendors, a system nobody understands), that's the rest of what I do.
§07Limits
What this isn't
- Not legal advice. I'm not a lawyer or CPA.
- Not an audit or certification. I help you build and implement your plan; I don't certify compliance.
- Not a guarantee against breaches.
§08Questions
Questions
Do I really need this if I'm a solo preparer?
Yes. The requirement applies to paid preparers regardless of size. Smaller offices have fewer required pieces, so it's a faster job.
Does the 5,000-client rule change my price?
No. Price depends on the size of your office. The 5,000 figure decides which parts of the rule apply to you, and it counts everyone whose information you keep, including past clients. I'll work that out with you during the walkthrough.
Can't I just use the IRS template?
You can. Most people who try don't finish it, or end up with a plan that doesn't match how their office actually works. You're paying for done-for-you and accurate.
What if you find bigger problems?
I'll tell you what I found, what it would take to fix, and what it costs, before doing anything beyond the included hours. Some fixes are better handled by your IT provider, and I'm happy to work with them.
Will you see my clients' tax data?
I don't need to look at returns. The plan is about your systems and policies. For the hands-on fixes I'll be working inside your systems, so I sign a confidentiality agreement before starting, and you'll list me as a service provider in your plan, the way the rule requires.
How are my files handled for Paper-to-Searchable?
[DANE: describe: e.g., files are scanned and processed on an offline machine, stay in your office or in a locked case, are returned with the searchable copies, and working copies are securely wiped afterward. Confirm before publishing.]
What tax software do you work with?
[DANE: list, e.g., Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax, ProSeries]
What happens after filing season?
Ongoing Review keeps your plan current, so you're not starting over next year. Ask about private, offline AI tools for your documents, too. For anything bigger, see my other services.
Is this an audit?
No. See What this isn't.
§09Next step
Book a free 20-minute call
A quick look at what you run and whether this is a fit. Book by [December 12, 2026]for delivery before filing season.
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