Ask the Advocate November 2021 Tax News

As you prepare for the holidays, don’t forget to prepare to safeguard your client’s confidential information

Tax practitioners remain high-value targets for cybercriminals seeking to steal sensitive tax information. Whether you are a sole-proprietor, or partner of a firm, please take the time to be proactive to safeguard your client’s information in preparation for the upcoming tax filing season.

While Franchise Tax Board (FTB) does not offer independent guidance, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides the following guidance I would like to share with you:

• Tax Security 2.0: The Taxes-Security-Together Checklist
• Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data
• Publication 5293, Data Security Resource Guide for Tax Professionals

Should you experience data theft, or unauthorized access, inform FTB directly at ftbdatabreach@ftb.ca.gov and provide the following information:

• Tax professional’s name and title
• Name of business
• PTIN/EFIN
• Number of clients affected
• Do you actively use MyFTB? If so, when was your last login?
• Contact information

When you inform us of a data breach, we will provide you with any required actions to protect and document the appropriate account(s).

As we enter the holiday season, all of us in the Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate Office hope that you, your loved ones, and your clients’ confidential data remains safe and well.

We say Thank You and Goodbye to Terri Isedeh

For those of you who have had an opportunity to participate in Selvi’s Advisory Board Meetings, the California Society of Enrolled Agents Liaison meetings, or the CalCPA liaison meetings, then be assured you have benefited from Terri Isedah’s remarkable ability to orchestrate all the behind the scenes work necessary to make these meetings so successful.

Terri’s knowledge of how the Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate Office (TRAO) operates, her willingness to share this information, and her remarkable ability to remain calm under pressure has been invaluable. Her dedication and ability to provide leadership and guidance as we moved away from in-person meetings and pivoted to virtual meetings when faced with the travel ban, and pandemic limitations have been extraordinary. Terri has been the backbone of the team as we rebuild and strategize new processes.

Terri has enabled the TRAO team to provide California taxpayers and tax professional’s assistance to resolve tax problems when our normal resolutions have not worked, and worked diligently to identify systemic issues to further assist taxpayers file their tax returns timely, accurately, and pay the correct amount.

Starting this month, Terri will continue her more than 20 years of service to the citizens of California as part of the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission. She will report to an alumni of TRAO, Mr. Alvaro Hernandez, the first Latino Director appointed to lead this commission.

Congratulations to Terri.

We thank you, and we wish you continued success in your new endeavor.