Tech - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Cybersecurity Alert: Don’t Let Tax Season Scammers Get the Last Laugh

As the April 15th tax deadline approaches, cybercriminals are having their own version of “busy season.” Unfortunately, they don’t file returns—they steal them. We’re seeing a rise in scams targeting both individuals and businesses during this tax season.

Here’s what you need to know to keep your data safe, your stress levels manageable, and your sense of humor intact.

Why Tax Season Is Cybercrime Season
The chaos of tax time creates a prime opportunity for scammers:

More financial activity online = more targets
People rushing to file = more hasty clicks
Sensitive data flying everywhere = hacker heaven
Everyone’s talking to the IRS = easier to impersonate them

Basically, it’s like a buffet for cybercriminals—and they didn’t even bring a casserole.

Scams to Watch Out For (and Maybe Laugh At, Just a Little)
Phishing Emails with a Tax Twist
These emails […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-04-01T19:28:18+00:00April 1st, 2025|cybersecurity, Tech|0 Comments

The Rise of AI Assistants: Your New Favorite (Digital) Coworker?

Remember the old days when work was just… work? You’d dig through spreadsheets, manually enter data, and try to remember which folder contained that one file from last quarter (spoiler: it was always in the wrong one). Remember when digital assistants were limited to setting timers and telling dad jokes? Thanks to emerging AI and automation, those days are fading faster than your New Year’s resolutions. Artificial intelligence is no longer just a sci-fi buzzword—it’s quickly becoming the most efficient, low-maintenance, and judgment-free coworker you’ve ever had. And unlike Steve from accounting, AI won’t eat your lunch from the office fridge.

Draft emails, reports, and proposals with a few prompts
Analyze spreadsheet data and extract meaningful insights
Transcribe and summarize meetings, highlighting action items
Help brainstorm ideas and overcome creative blocks
Automate repetitive tasks that once consumed hours of your day

The best part? You don’t need to be a tech wizard to reap these benefits. Modern AI tools are designed with user-friendliness in mind. If you can order takeout online or navigate social […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-03-18T20:16:32+00:00March 18th, 2025|Tech, technology|0 Comments

AI in Business: Current Applications and Future Opportunities

The business landscape is rapidly evolving with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming increasingly accessible and powerful. While large corporations have been early adopters, small and medium-sized businesses now have unprecedented access to AI tools that can dramatically improve efficiency and competitiveness. Here’s what business owners need to know about leveraging AI effectively in 2025 and beyond.

Current Business Applications

Document Management and Analysis

AI excels at processing and analyzing large volumes of documents – from contracts and invoices to emails and reports. Law firms are using AI to review contracts and identify potential issues in minutes rather than hours. Manufacturing companies are automating purchase order processing and inventory documentation. Wineries are streamlining compliance documentation and sales reporting.

Customer Service and Communication

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants now handle routine customer inquiries 24/7, freeing up staff for more complex interactions. These systems can schedule appointments, answer product questions, and even handle basic troubleshooting. More importantly, they learn from each interaction to provide increasingly accurate and helpful responses.

Financial Analysis and Forecasting

AI tools are revolutionizing financial planning by analyzing historical data to identify trends and make predictions. Businesses can now get instant […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-01-28T21:04:45+00:00January 28th, 2025|AI, Tech|0 Comments

IRS, Security Summit Partners Urge People to Watch Out for Bad Tax Advice on Social Media

The Internal Revenue Service and the Security Summit partners issued a consumer alert about the growing threat of bad tax advice on social media that continues to dupe people into filing inaccurate tax returns.

The IRS and the Security Summit partners are spotlighting the wildly inaccurate tax claims that continue building across social media. These scams take many different forms and make outlandish promises to inflate refunds.

“The growth of bad tax advice on social media continues to grow, luring unsuspecting taxpayers into filing bad tax returns,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “We urge people to do some research before falling for these scams. Finding a trusted tax professional or visiting IRS.gov is a better way to research a tax issue than relying on someone talking in their car or their kitchen about a non-existent tax hack.”

For years, members of the Security Summit – representing state tax agencies, tax professionals, tax software companies, and the financial industry – have worked to raise awareness about tax-related identity theft and related tax scams. To counter this growing threat of tax scams, many of the Summit members have joined together to launch a related group, the Coalition […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2024-12-17T19:16:41+00:00December 17th, 2024|irs, IT, Tech|0 Comments

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Reminder: IRS and Security Summit Online Safety Tips

As National Cybersecurity Awareness Month ends and preparation for next tax season begins, the Internal Revenue Service and its Security Summit partners today reminded taxpayers to be wary of online threats like identity theft and fraud.

Whether shopping online or browsing social media, people unfamiliar with online security could be putting themselves at risk. Lax online behavior can open the door to swindlers eager to swipe people’s personal information and leave themselves vulnerable to tax-related identity theft.

The IRS and Security Summit alert taxpayers to remain vigilant and to teach children and teens how to recognize and avoid online scams to minimize their chances of falling prey or unwittingly exposing their families to identity theft and tax fraud.

The public-private sector partnership encourages everyone to be aware of the many security vulnerabilities they face online and to review a wide range of resources available to them as October’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month has drawn to a close.

Members of the Security Summit – a coalition that includes tax software and financial companies, tax professionals, state tax administrators and the IRS – also offer multiple online safety recommendations to protect taxpayers from […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2024-11-05T17:14:34+00:00November 5th, 2024|cybersecurity, Tech|0 Comments