Now in its 11th year, the IRS brought together industry, state and regulatory personnel in 2015 to discuss the growing threat of cybercrime. Today, the Summit includes the IRS, 42 state tax agencies, and 24 tax industry offices.
In 2026, the Security Summit introduced a new framework organized around five working groups focused on protecting taxpayers and tax revenue from fraud:
Tax Professionals: Focuses on protecting tax professionals and their clients from identity theft and other security threats.
Strategic Threat Assessment and Response (STAR): Identifies emerging threats and helps coordinate responses across the tax community.
Financial Services: Focuses on fraud prevention involving financial institutions and tax-related financial products.
Authentication: Focuses on strengthening identity verification and authentication across the tax system.
Information Sharing: Supports information sharing among the IRS, states, and tax industry partners to identify and combat tax fraud.
This year, the IRS and its partners are offering scam updates and continue to emphasize practices that assist taxpayers and tax professionals in avoiding becoming victims of data and financial scams. Cyber schemes are constantly evolving, always seeking network passwords, access to personal and offshore bank accounts and data that will help them with their next hack.
Consider these tips and tools to keep your clients, your identity, and your business secure:
This year, impersonation is big. Bad actors are pretending to be the IRS, or new clients, or tax experts on social media. Virtually every form of communication is being used in scams, so be cautious about answering unsolicited phone calls, sharing information, and clicking unfamiliar links.
Keep your software and hardware safe with a set of capabilities the IRS calls the “Security Six” which include firewalls, anti-virus software, well executed backup plans, VPNs, encrypted drives and two-factor authentication.
Make a plan. Be sure you have a Written Information Security Plan (WISP).
Keeping your identity, your tax refund, or your business safe from hackers is not easy. As cyber threats and AI-driven scams continue to evolve, even careful taxpayers and tax professionals can be vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated schemes. Staying informed and maintaining strong security practices remain critical.
Robert J. Fedor, Esq., LLC is a well-respected leader in criminal tax and compliance defense. We provide strong representation to clients locally and globally who have personal and business concerns with the IRS. Contact our legal team today at 440-250-9709. Our offices are in Cleveland and Chicago.
If you have questions about IRS penalties or the distinction between tax evasion and tax fraud, our guide, Since You Asked: 15 Common and Concerning Tax Law Questions & Answers, provides additional information on these topics.