Education partnership delivers AI governance, data protection, and modern compliance training built specifically for tax preparers, available to NATP's 23,000+ members nationwide.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Verito, the top-rated cloud hosting and managed IT provider for accounting firms, today announced an education partnership with the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP). The partnership delivers an AI governance and cybersecurity curriculum, built specifically for tax preparers, to NATP's 23,000+ members nationwide.

The curriculum gives NATP members a structured path through the AI, data handling, and compliance decisions that now sit inside daily tax workflows. It builds on Verito's framework for the Cyber-Ready Tax Practice, a Verito-developed concept describing a firm that handles AI use, client data, and regulatory documentation as deliberately as it handles a return, and on Verito's 10 years of operating secure infrastructure for tax and accounting firms.

The first curriculum sessions launch in Q2 2026. Visit natptax.com to learn more.

Why This Curriculum, Why Now

Tax practice is changing fast. AI tools now sit inside the workflow of most firms: drafting returns, summarizing documents, and supporting client communication. The decisions about how those tools are used, what data they touch, and how they're disclosed to clients are being made daily, often without a written policy.

At the same time, modern practice standards have raised the bar on how firms handle client data. Every PTIN holder is expected to maintain a Written Information Security Plan under IRS Publication 4557. Updated FTC Safeguards Rule requirements (16 CFR Part 314) now expect tax preparers to operate with the same data-protection discipline as financial institutions. 

What the Curriculum Covers

Verito will deliver continuing education and member-resource content across three domains, ordered by where firms are asking the most questions today:

• AI governance for tax workflows: what AI tools fit tax prep, how to document AI use in client engagements, and how to vet AI vendors handling taxpayer data
• Written Information Security Plans (WISPs): building, updating, and maintaining a current WISP, with templates and audit-ready documentation
• Modern data protection practices: encryption, access management, multi-factor authentication, and incident response patterns that match what underwriters and clients now expect

The curriculum is built on Verito's operational experience supporting 1,000+ tax and accounting firms running Drake, UltraTax, Lacerte, ProSeries, CCH Axcess, and QuickBooks, the applications that handle taxpayer data daily and sit at the center of every tax workflow.

The result: firms that handle AI, data, and compliance as deliberately as they handle a return.

"AI is already inside the workflow of most tax firms, whether the firm's owner planned it or not," said Jatin Narang, CEO and co-founder of Verito. "The question isn't whether to engage with these technologies. It's how to use them well, protect client data, and document the decisions you're making. That's what a Cyber-Ready Tax Practice looks like: a firm running modern tools intentionally."

What the Partnership Delivers

• For NATP members: continuing education credits, ready-to-use templates (AI use policy, WISP, vendor vetting checklists, and incident response plan), and direct access to practitioners who can answer tax-specific questions
• For firms adopting AI tools: a governance framework that lets them document AI use confidently
• For firms positioning for growth: a defensible Cyber-Ready Tax Practice posture that supports client retention, cyber insurance qualification, and firm valuation

"Protecting taxpayer data and helping members adapt to emerging technologies are important priorities for NATP," said Scott Artman, CPA, CGMA, CEO of the National Association of Tax Professionals. "We're pleased to work with Verito to provide education and resources that help tax professionals strengthen their practices and confidently navigate evolving cybersecurity and AI considerations."

What the Cyber-Ready Tax Practice Includes

A Cyber-Ready Tax Practice applies the standards the IRS and FTC already expect, documented in writing:

• IRS Security Six: anti-virus, firewalls, MFA, backup, drive encryption, VPN.
• IRS Publication 4557: every tax preparer maintains a Written Information Security Plan (WISP).
• FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314): Qualified Individual, risk assessment, encryption, access controls, service-provider oversight, 30-day FTC notification for incidents affecting 500+ customers.
• IRC § 7216 (criminal) and IRC § 6713 (civil, $250 per disclosure, $10,000 annual cap) for tax return information.

The Cyber-Ready Tax Practice isn't a new rule. It's applying the existing ones to AI.

Verito's Track Record

Verito earned #1 rankings in 21 G2 categories in Summer 2026, maintains 100% uptime since 2016, holds a 95 Net Promoter Score, and delivers sub-60-second support response times from technicians trained on professional tax applications. Verito's 10-year operating record includes purpose-built compliance solutions like VeritShield WISP, used by tax firms nationwide to maintain current Written Information Security Plans.

NATP members can access exclusive discounts at verito.com/partners/natp or contact Verito at sales@verito.com.

About Verito

Verito provides private cloud hosting, managed IT, and compliance solutions exclusively for tax and accounting firms. Founded in 2016, Verito operates under a simple promise: It just works. Securely. The company brings a 10-year track record, 1,000+ clients, 100% uptime, and a 95 Net Promoter Score. Learn more at verito.com.

About the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP)

The National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) represents more than 23,000 tax experts nationwide. As a trusted source for education, advocacy and expert insight, NATP helps professionals serve taxpayers with accuracy, ethics and confidence in a rapidly changing tax landscape.

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SOURCE Verito