IRS Warns Taxpayers of Phone Scan in the Piedmont

The Internal Revenue Service has released a warning about telephone scams that sound like legitimate phone calls. Scammers are impersonating IRS employees and calling taxpayers stating that money is due. The scammers will then ask for your credit or debit account number or will ask you to pay with a prepaid money card. According to Mark Hanson from the IRS, “Somebody calls you they have your name, they have your phone number, they have your social security number and they’ve also found a way to make caller ID make it appear like the call is coming from the IRS so it’s very convincing.” These scams have also been occurring through emails. The best thing to do is to not have any contact with the scammers at all. If you feel that your personal information has been compromised, you should file a report with your local law enforcement or with the Internal Revenue Service (the report can be found at www.irs.gov).

518 Arbor Hill Rd.

 Kernersville, NC 27284

 Ph: 336-996-3338

 www.cpamcdaniel.com

 

9 Cybersecurity Tips for Small Business Owners

Small businesses have become a large target for criminals seeking sensitive data, because they typically have limited resources or personnel dedicated to information system security. To combat cyber-attacks, the U.S. Small Business Administration recommends following these 9 tips to keep your business secure.

1.      Use the Federal Communications Commission’s Small Biz Cyber Planner: The Small Biz Cyber Planner is a security tool that walks users through a series of questions to determine which cyber security strategies should be included in their planning guide, and also generates a custom PDF that serves as a cyber-security strategy template.

2.      Establish cybersecurity rules for your employees: Establish rules regarding how to handle and protect personal information, and clearly detail the penalties for violating the policies.

3.      Protect against viruses, spyware, etc.: Install, use and regularly update antivirus and antispyware software on every computer used in your business.

4.      Educate employees about safe social media practices: Employees should be trained to post online in a way that does not reveal any trade secrets or sensitive information to the public or competing businesses.

5.      Manage and asses risk: Ask yourself what you have worth protecting, and assess the impact of that important information being compromised. Make a personalized cybersecurity plan according to what is important for your business.

6.      Download and install updates when they are available: All software vendors regularly provide updates to their products to correct security problems and improve functionality. It is best to configure all software to install updates automatically.

7.      Make backup copies of important business data and information: Regularly backup the data on every computer used in your business. It is best to backup data automatically if possible, at least once a week. Depending on your business, backups may need to be processed more frequently.

8.      Control physical access to computers and network components: Prevent access or use of business computer by unauthorized individuals, and always store and lock laptop computers, as they are the easiest targets for theft.

9.      Secure Wi-Fi networks: Always require a password for access to your business’ Wi-Fi network, and consider hiding the network so it does not broadcast the network name for further protection. Also, it is advised to change the administrative password that was on your router when it was first purchased.

518 Arbor Hill Rd.

 Kernersville, NC 27284

 Ph: 336-996-3338

 www.cpamcdaniel.com

 

Microsoft Ending Support for Windows XP and Office 2003

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that it would end support for Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 3 Operating System and Microsoft Office 2003 products on April 8^th. After April 8^th, those software products will no longer receive security patches, assisted technical support from Microsoft, or software and content updates. Computer systems running the unsupported software will be exposed to cybersecurity dangers and/or electronic data loss. Users of the software may also encounter problems with software and hardware compatibility, since new software applications and hardware devices may not be built for Windows XP or Office 2003. If you are running Sage or Intuit products on a computer with a Windows XP operating system, you might want to consider upgrading your operating system to avoid any issues. For more information, click on this link. If you have any questions, please contact us!

518 Arbor Hill Rd.

 Kernersville, NC 27284

 Ph: 336-996-3338

 www.cpamcdaniel.com

 

 

Intuit Launches Intuit Apps.com

In an effort to help small business owners figure out what applications and add-ons they need to work with their software, Intuit has launched their new website: www.apps.com. This new website acts as an application depot, where current QuickBooks users can go to identify what apps would help maximize their QuickBooks Desktop or Online experience. Apps.com is available through a web browser and in QuickBooks. The group marketing manager of Small Business Financial Solutions for QuickBooks stated that the “goal with Apps.com is to generate content and create a community for small business owners to help each other better understand what apps are available to them, how these apps will improve their business and what they need to consider in order to make an informed decision when managing their business”. If you have used apps.com, tell us about your experience in the comments!

518 Arbor Hill Rd.

 Kernersville, NC 27284

 Ph: 336-996-3338

 www.cpamcdaniel.com

 

Keeping Your SSNs and TINs Secure

In 2012, the Internal Revenue Service identified more than 1.8 million incidents of identity theft, and the numbers for 2013 are expected to be even higher as the IRS increased investigations of tax-related identity theft by 66%. The most common situation that occurs during tax season is that a thief will use a stolen Social Security Number of Tax Identification Number to file a fake tax return and then subsequently claim a refund on that return. Your Social Security Number is the most important piece of your personal information, and should be protected.

 

Identity thieves can steal your Social Security Number by stealing your wallet or purse, going through your mail, hacking into your accounts on websites, rummaging through your trash, and conducting scams, such as impersonating legitimate businesses to retrieve personal information from you. To avoid the theft of your Social Security Number or Tax Identification number, store all personal information in a locked safe in your home, shred all mail and correspondence that has your personal information on it rather than throwing it away, and do not ever give out personal information over the phone unless you are the one contacting the company. If you believe that someone has stolen your identity, contact the Internal Revenue Service through this link. If you have any questions about keeping your Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number secure, please contact us!

 

Sage Unveils Mobile Solutions

Sage North America has officially released three new mobile solutions that connect with select Sage ERP systems: Sage Mobile Sales, Sage Mobile Service, and Sage Billing and Payment. Sage Mobile Sales and Sage Mobile Services are available through iTunes and Sage Billing and Payment is a web application that works with popular browsers. All three of these applications are delivered through the new Sage Data Cloud.

·         Sage Mobile Sales: Sage Mobile Sales allows you to link quotes, orders, and payments from Sage ERP system to the mobile app on your device. Salespeople out in the field will be able to view and edit customer information, create quotes and email to customers, check product availability, and enter orders and accept immediate payment.

·         Sage Mobile Service: Sage Mobile Service allows field technicians to optimize schedules, routes and assignments, attain customer sign-offs and take photos of projects, and allows access to the customer’s Sage ERP information. This app allows you to provide estimates and receipts through email, so customer contact is quick and efficient.

·         Sage Billing and Payment: Sage Billing and Payment gives you a choice of providing electronic or paper copies of invoices, as well as allowing the receipt of electronic payments. Electronic invoices and receipts can be sent to customers based on the preferences you choose.

If you have any questions about the new Sage Mobile Solutions, please contact us!

518 Arbor Hill Rd.

 Kernersville, NC 27284

 Ph: 336-996-3338

 www.cpamcdaniel.com

 

‘Glitch’ Blamed for Davidson County Overcharging Property Tax Bills

Davidson County officials have announced that a glitch is to blame for some county residents being overcharged on their vehicle tag tax bill. A new tag and tax law was started in July 2013 in North Carolina that made it mandatory for vehicle owners to pay vehicle property taxes when they purchase or renew a license tag. The glitch occurred due to the new software, which pulls addresses from the state system. If the addresses do not match exactly, by default the highest municipal tax rate in the county will be assessed on the vehicle tax bill. Prior to the new law, the county was averaging about 10 errors per month out of approximately 13,000 monthly bills. But now the county is averaging 60 refund requests each month due to the glitch. This glitch only affects vehicle property tax bills. Davidson county residents are urged to look at their bills, and contact the Davidson County Tax Office at 336-242-2160 as soon as possible if they notice the wrong tax rate listed.

518 Arbor Hill Rd.

 Kernersville, NC 27284

 Ph: 336-996-3338

 www.cpamcdaniel.com