Industry: Accounting & CPA Firms
Managed IT services for accounting firms have to survive busy season. Core12 Tech supports CPA practices with native expertise in QuickBooks, Lacerte, UltraTax, Drake and CCH Axcess, IRS Publication 4557 and WISP-aligned controls for client tax data, and a sub-10-minute response guarantee from January through April 15. Atlanta-headquartered, serving accounting firms of 10–200 staff across the Southeast on flat per-user pricing with no per-ticket fees and no busy-season surcharge.
Managed IT services for accounting firms are fully outsourced technology operations built around the tax and audit calendar: help desk with sub-10-minute response through busy season, native support for Lacerte, UltraTax CS, Drake, CCH Axcess and hosted QuickBooks, IRS Publication 4557 and FTC Safeguards Rule controls over client tax data, a maintained Written Information Security Plan (WISP), secure hosted desktops for seasonal preparers, and backup and recovery tested against filing deadlines — all under one flat per-user monthly fee. Core12 Tech delivers this for CPA firms of 10–200 staff across Atlanta and the Southeast.
Managed IT for an accounting firm typically runs $140–$250 per user per month in the Southeast US, driven by staff count, whether tax applications are hosted or on-premise, the number of seasonal preparers needing secure desktops, and compliance scope (IRS Pub. 4557, FTC Safeguards Rule, WISP maintenance, peer review evidence). A 40-person firm with hosted Lacerte and secure seasonal desktops usually lands at $6,000–$9,000 per month all-in. Core12 Tech prices flat per user with no busy-season surcharge and no per-ticket fees, and the IT Risk Report benchmarks current spend against similar-size firms in 60 seconds.
Accounting firms handling taxpayer data must maintain a Written Information Security Plan (WISP) under the FTC Safeguards Rule, follow the safeguards described in IRS Publication 4557, and meet the identity, encryption, access control, and incident response expectations their professional liability insurers and peer reviewers verify. In practice that means MFA on every account holding client data, encryption at rest and in transit, documented access reviews, logged and monitored endpoints, tested backups, and a named security coordinator. Core12 Tech maintains the WISP, produces the evidence, and runs the controls as part of the managed service rather than as a separate compliance project.
Native support for Lacerte, UltraTax CS, Drake, CCH Axcess, ProSystem fx, and hosted QuickBooks — including year-end version upgrades.
Encryption, MFA, and access controls built to IRS Publication 4557 and FTC Safeguards Rule expectations.
A maintained Written Information Security Plan with the evidence your peer reviewer and insurer ask for.
Sub-10-minute response January through April 15. No queue, no surcharge, no "we will look at it Monday".
Secure remote desktops so seasonal preparers work from anywhere without client data touching personal machines.
Automated client onboarding, document request chasing, and e-file status tracking so staff time goes to review work.
Managed IT
Tax application hosting, workstation and server management, and 24/7 help desk staffed by engineers who know a return deadline from a routine ticket.
Security & CMMC
IRS Pub. 4557 and FTC Safeguards-aligned controls, MFA everywhere, email threat protection, and audit-ready evidence for peer review.
AI & Automation
Automated document collection, e-file status monitoring, and AI-assisted workflow routing across the tax and audit calendar.
| Capability | Traditional IT | Core12 MIP |
|---|---|---|
| Tax Software | Generalist install and reboot | Lacerte, UltraTax, Drake, CCH Axcess, ProSystem fx expertise |
| Busy Season Response | Same SLA as any other month | Sub-10-minute response Jan 1 – Apr 15 |
| Client Data Compliance | Antivirus and hope | IRS Pub. 4557 + FTC Safeguards controls with evidence |
| WISP | A template you wrote once | Maintained plan, reviewed annually, insurer-ready |
| Remote Preparers | VPN to personal laptops | Hosted secure desktops, no local client data |
| Pricing | Hourly overage in April | Flat per-user, no busy-season surcharge |
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Most CPA firms pay $140–$250 per user per month depending on staff count, hosted versus on-premise tax applications, seasonal preparer desktops, and compliance scope. Core12 prices flat per user with no busy-season surcharge — the IT Risk Report benchmarks your current spend against firms your size in 60 seconds.
Lacerte, UltraTax CS, Drake, CCH Axcess, ProSystem fx, hosted QuickBooks and QuickBooks Enterprise, Sage Intacct, Bill.com, and the document management platforms firms run alongside them — including hosting, year-end version upgrades, and staff onboarding.
Yes. The sub-10-minute response guarantee applies January 1 through April 15 at the same flat per-user rate. Ticket volume in busy season is expected and priced in — there is no surcharge and no overage billing.
Yes. Core12 builds the Written Information Security Plan, maps controls to IRS Publication 4557 and the FTC Safeguards Rule, maintains the evidence trail, and reviews the plan annually so it holds up with your insurer and peer reviewer.
Yes. Core12 Tech is headquartered in Atlanta and supports accounting firms across Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, with on-site dispatch in metro Atlanta and remote-first coverage regionally.
Compare your current IT spend and risk to accounting firms your size. 60 seconds, no email required.
15-minute call. We review your tax application stack, WISP status, and busy-season readiness.