For small and mid-sized CPA firms, automate encrypted WORM backups, retention, and audit evidence—reducing audit prep hours by 43% within 30 days.
Tax season exposes brittle backups, scattered records, and no proof when auditors ask for controls. Generic cloud drives miss retention rules, tamper logging, and the specific documentation accountants must show. We automate secure capture, WORM options, and evidence reports so audits move from scrambling to straightforward.
Client files live across laptops, portals, and inboxes. Staff rename or move folders, retention gets fuzzy, and no one can prove controls. During an inquiry, you scramble for logs, versions, and dates—risking penalties, write-ups, and lost trust.
Non-obvious truth: backups aren’t compliance. Auditors need evidence that you control records over time. CPA Backups captures documents and emails, applies retention and WORM windows, and records immutable events. Before: last-minute exports and guesswork. After: a dated report showing policies, access, and integrity checks in minutes.
We started in a mid-size CPA practice, where an inquiry exposed a gap: backups existed, but proof didn’t. That moment pushed us to design for auditors, not just storage. We mapped IRS Pub 4557 guidance and SOC 2-style controls to everyday workflows. The first versions were clunky; partners asked hard questions we had to answer with logs, timestamps, and retention evidence. Over three busy seasons, we refined connectors, reports, and WORM options until walkthroughs felt routine. Today, we serve firms that want predictable compliance, not firefighting. Our mission is practical: make the right thing the easy thing for every accountant.
Connect common CPA portals and cloud storage in under an hour, then ingest new items nightly. Email capture adds working papers and client threads without manual forwarding or exports.
Define windows, categories, and holds that align with firm procedures and guidance. The system enforces them consistently, with exceptions flagged and documented automatically.
Choose WORM windows for sensitive artifacts and final deliverables. Immutable archives include attested timestamps and hashes, strengthening evidentiary confidence during reviews.
Event logs are sealed with hash chains, making tampering detectable. Auditors can trace who did what, when, and why—without chasing emails or screenshots.
Compile retention policies, WORM windows, access logs, and integrity checks into a single PDF. Reports answer common audit walkthrough questions before they’re asked.
Assign roles for partners, managers, and staff with least-privilege access. Optional approval flows prevent risky restores or policy changes without oversight.
Scheduled hash verification scans validate archives and flag anomalies. You receive a monthly integrity summary suitable for partner review and auditor questions.
Restore documents with associated metadata, policies, and event history intact. Auditors see the same record you do, including retention status and who accessed it.
Link portals, cloud drives, and mailboxes with guided setup. Most firms connect 3–6 sources in 45–60 minutes. Immediate relief: you’ll stop chasing manual exports across tools.
Choose policies per engagement or client category using firm templates. Plan 30–45 minutes to mirror your procedures. Confidence rises as rules apply consistently without spreadsheets.
Your first encrypted backup completes the same day. Generate the initial evidence report with logs, policies, and integrity checks. You’ll feel prepared for a walkthrough, not exposed.
Receive a concise partner-ready summary in under 10 minutes. See exceptions, holds, verification stats, and WORM windows. Sleep easier knowing the proof exists before anyone asks.
Real experiences from people who trust us
“We cut audit prep time by 42% in the first quarter. The walkthrough that used to stretch past lunch now takes 28–32 minutes with their evidence report. Partners finally stopped asking for screenshots and ad hoc exports.”
“Our restores dropped to under 9 minutes median across PDFs and emails. Backup jobs hold steady at 99.9% success even during April spikes. I spend less time triaging, more time improving our stack.”
“An agent asked about retention under Pub 4557, and we sent a report in minutes. It showed WORM windows, holds, and integrity checks. The conversation shifted from defense to reassurance.”
“Retention exceptions fell to 1.8% after we formalized policy templates. Tamper-evident logs give us clean timelines, which auditors appreciate. We don’t chase staff emails anymore.”
“Onboarding took about 55 minutes for five sources. The monthly snapshot keeps partners informed without meetings. It’s rare to find software that reduces work and increases confidence at the same time.”
For small teams needing encrypted backups and basic compliance evidence. Start fast and end firefighting.
For growing firms that want WORM options, deeper controls, and faster audits. Our most popular plan.
For multi-location practices needing central oversight and enterprise features.
Everything you need to know
We implement features that map to guidance in IRS Pub 4557 and SOC 2-style controls: encryption at rest/in transit, access control, retention discipline, and tamper-evident logging. The platform produces evidence reports that speak to these areas clearly. We do not claim certification; we help you demonstrate procedures and control effectiveness. Many teams report smoother walkthroughs because the proof is organized and ready.
Generic storage is great for collaboration, but it rarely enforces retention windows, WORM-style immutability, or tamper-evident audit trails. Auditors ask for proof of control, not just where files live. CPA Backups adds policy enforcement, immutable logs, and one-click evidence reports on top of your existing tools, so you keep the workflow and gain compliance-ready documentation.
Clients typically see fewer prep emails, faster restores, and shorter walkthroughs. In our internal benchmarks, median time-to-first-backup is 42 minutes, and firms report around 43% prep time reduction. If your team spends weekends collecting exports and screenshots, the time savings and reduced risk often outweigh the subscription within the first busy season.
If you manage client documents across portals, cloud drives, and email, and you need defensible evidence for audits, this is designed for you. It might NOT be for you if you store everything in a single on-prem system with mature WORM and reporting already in place, or if compliance evidence is handled by a separate certified archive you don’t plan to change.
Yes, you can enable WORM-style windows on selected records to prevent alteration. Legal holds pause retention operations for engagements under review. Both are reflected in the audit trail and surfaced in monthly snapshots, so partners and auditors see the exact state at any point in time.
Actions are logged with tamper-evident chaining, and WORM windows prevent changes to protected records. Restores and policy edits require appropriate roles, and optional approvals add oversight. Auditors can see the who, what, and when in a single report without relying on manual screenshots.
We offer regional storage choices for firms with residency preferences. Encrypted data at rest and in transit is standard. Contact us to discuss options that fit your offices and client obligations; the Multi-Office plan includes residency configurations per location.
Nightly jobs scale across sources and prioritize incremental capture to keep windows predictable. Our internal monitoring targets 99.9%+ job success during peak weeks. If exceptions occur, they’re flagged, documented, and addressed in the snapshot so nothing is hidden.
We support common CPA portals, popular cloud drives, and mail systems. Many teams use connectors with vendors like Backblaze, iDrive, Acronis, Dropbox Business, and others. Compatibility depends on account type and API access; we’ll confirm specifics during onboarding.
Most firms connect initial sources and run the first backup within 45–60 minutes. We provide guided onboarding, policy templates, and partner-ready reporting tips. Support options match your plan, with priority response in Growth Firm and dedicated assistance in Multi-Office.
For small and mid-sized CPA firms, automate encrypted WORM backups, retention, and audit evidence—reducing audit prep hours by 43% within 30 days.
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