IRS News Release: Security Summit reminds tax pros to guard against identity theft

IRS News Release: Security Summit reminds tax pros to guard against identity theft (Aug. 26, 2025)The IRS and its Security Summit partners closed out their “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself” summer awareness campaign by urging tax professionals to remain vigilant against identity theft. Nearly 300 data breaches reported in the first half of 2025 affected as many as 250,000 clients. The Security Summit — a collaboration of the IRS, state tax agencies, industry, and professionals since 2015 — highlighted threats such as fake “new client” phishing emails, malware, social media misinformation, and scams impersonating the IRS.Tax pros are encouraged to watch for red flags like unauthorized IRS Online Account access, rejected returns linked to stolen SSNs, or unusual computer activity. Key prevention tools include creating a Written Information Security Plan (WISP), using the “Security Six” (antivirus, firewalls, backup systems, encryption, MFA, VPNs), and enrolling clients in the IRS Identity Protection PIN program.In case of a breach, practitioners must immediately report incidents to the IRS Stakeholder Liaison, notify state tax agencies, and inform affected clients. The campaign emphasizes staying informed with IRS publications (e.g., 5708, 5293, 4557) and resources like Identity Theft Central. The initiative also coincided with the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum events in summer 2025.