IT Support for CPA Firms in Chicago Using CCH Axcess & Thomson Reuters

Since 2012, CIO Landing has supported accounting and CPA firms across Chicagoland from our offices in Chicago and Northfield. We manage the workstations, servers, networks and Microsoft 365 environments that CCH Axcess, CCH ProSystem fx, UltraTax CS and the rest of the Thomson Reuters CS Professional Suite depend on, and we keep them stable through extension season, year-end and April 15.

Why CPA firms need an IT partner who knows their tax software

Most managed IT providers can keep Windows patched and email running. Fewer of them understand what happens inside a CPA firm between January and April, or why a slow CCH Axcess Tax login on March 10 is a different kind of problem than a slow login in July.

Tax and accounting applications are demanding. CCH Axcess is a cloud platform, but it still relies on locally installed Windows components that need adequate memory, the right firewall exceptions and antivirus exclusions, and a working integration with Microsoft Office and Outlook. UltraTax CS and the CS Professional Suite are typically installed on an on-premises Windows Server and need specific server configurations, wired networks and properly excluded antivirus to avoid data corruption and performance problems. Add scanners, duplex printers, dual monitors, remote staff, seasonal preparers and client portals, and you have an environment that needs an IT team who has seen it before.

CIO Landing has supported accounting firms since 2012. We know the vendor requirements, the common failure points and the calendar. That is what this page is about.

IT support for CCH Axcess and CCH ProSystem fx

Wolters Kluwer CCH Axcess (Tax, Document, Workflow, Practice and Portal) runs in the cloud, so the firm no longer manages a tax server. The experience on each desk, however, still depends on the local environment. Here is where we focus:

• Workstation specifications. Wolters Kluwer's guidance points to 16 GB of RAM as the recommended baseline for CCH Axcess workstations, and insufficient memory is one of the most common causes of slowness. We standardize machines for preparers and reviewers, and we plan hardware refreshes for the off-season.
• Firewall exceptions and antivirus exclusions. Missing firewall exceptions can block CCH Axcess traffic, and real-time scanning of CCH Axcess directories and processes slows the application down. We apply the vendor-recommended exclusions across the firm through our endpoint management tools, not one machine at a time.
• Microsoft 365 and Outlook integration. CCH Axcess Document and Workflow integrate with Office and Outlook. We manage your Microsoft 365 tenant, keep the desktop apps on supported versions and make sure add-ins load.
• Printing and scanning. Organizers, returns and engagement letters still get printed. We manage print servers, drivers and scanner profiles so that batch printing works on deadline day.
• Troubleshooting with the vendor. When something breaks, we work the ticket with Wolters Kluwer support, check the CCH Axcess application status page for service degradation, isolate whether the issue affects one user or the whole firm, and resolve conflicts with startup items and other software.
• CCH ProSystem fx. Firms still on the on-premises ProSystem fx suite need a well-maintained Windows Server, SQL Server and backups. We maintain those systems and plan the migration path to CCH Axcess when the firm is ready.

IT support for Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS and the CS Professional Suite

Thomson Reuters' CS Professional Suite (UltraTax CS, Practice CS, Fixed Assets CS, Accounting CS, FileCabinet CS and Workpapers CS) has specific infrastructure requirements, and many of the performance complaints we hear from new clients trace back to one of them.

• Windows Server built the right way. Thomson Reuters supports Windows Server 2016 through 2025 as a full installation. Core installations are not supported because they lack the .NET components the suite needs. We build and maintain the server to the vendor's specification.
• No NAS, no wireless. Thomson Reuters does not support network-attached storage as a file server unless it provides a Windows host, because file locking problems can corrupt data. Wireless networks are not recommended for any CS Professional Suite application. We design the network accordingly, with wired connections at every preparer's desk.
• Workstations and Office. UltraTax CS calls for a 64-bit processor, 8 GB or more of RAM and Windows 11, and its Office integration expects the desktop Microsoft 365 apps installed locally. We keep workstations and Office versions in line with those requirements.
• Multi-factor authentication for e-file. Transmitting returns requires the Thomson Reuters Authenticator app for at least one staff member. We help you enroll the right people and keep MFA working when phones are replaced.
• Virtual Office CS, SaaS and GoSystem Tax RS. Firms that have moved to Thomson Reuters' hosted options still need managed endpoints, identity, email security and local printing and scanning. We support hybrid firms that run some applications hosted and some on-premises.
• Antivirus exclusions and terminal servers. We apply Thomson Reuters' antivirus guidelines and support Remote Desktop Services environments for firms with remote preparers.

Busy-season readiness

Tax season is not the time to discover a failing server drive or an unpatched laptop. Our approach to CPA firms follows the calendar:

• Fall (September to November): hardware refresh, Windows Server and workstation upgrades, network changes and anything else that carries risk. Extension deadline on October 15 is treated like April 15.
• December: tax software installs and renewals, workstation verification, printer and scanner checks, remote access testing for seasonal staff, and user onboarding. Thomson Reuters and Wolters Kluwer release schedules are tracked.
• January to April: a change freeze on anything non-essential. Monitoring, backups and security tooling run continuously, and updates are scheduled outside working hours. Your Technology Alignment Manager (TAM) checks in on alignment items that cannot wait, and your Client Success Manager (CSM) stays close.
• May to August: the 90-day review that follows busy season drives next year's plan. We look at what slowed people down and fix the root cause before it matters again.

Security and compliance for tax preparers: FTC Safeguards Rule and your WISP

Tax preparers and CPA firms are treated as financial institutions under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which means the FTC Safeguards Rule applies to you. The IRS reinforces this in Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, and provides a WISP template in Publication 5708. Clients, cyber insurers and state boards increasingly expect to see the plan in writing.

CIO Landing helps CPA firms put the required controls in place and keep them in place:

• Written Information Security Plan (WISP). A firm-specific plan that documents what client data you collect, where it lives, who can access it and what happens after an incident. We supply the technical inventory and controls; your firm designates the person responsible for the program.
• Risk assessment. A documented assessment of the risks to taxpayer data, reviewed on a schedule rather than written once.
• Multi-factor authentication. MFA on Microsoft 365, remote access, tax software and administrative accounts.
• Encryption. Drive encryption on every laptop and desktop, and encryption of data in transit, including secure client portals instead of email attachments.
• Access controls. Permissions limited to what each role needs, with departures and seasonal staff removed promptly.
• Backup and recovery. Off-site backups retained for 90 days in U.S. data centers, with restores tested, as described on our Service Levels page.
• Security awareness training and phishing testing. Ongoing training for partners and staff, with simulated phishing to measure it.
• Incident response. A written response plan, endpoint detection and response, and help meeting breach-notification obligations, including the FTC's requirement to report incidents affecting 500 or more consumers.
• Vendor oversight and questionnaires. Help answering client and insurer security questionnaires and documenting the controls behind the answers.

How we work with CPA firms

CIO Landing is a managed IT services provider, not a break-fix shop. Every client gets:

• A Client Success Manager (CSM) who acts as your account manager. Each CSM handles a small number of clients, not hundreds, so the service is white-glove. Learn more about the CSM and TAM roles.
• A Technology Alignment Manager (TAM) who reviews your environment against our standards and keeps it aligned.
• A Fractional CIO (vCIO) when you need a technical leader who can sit with the partners, lead a software selection, plan a merger integration or present to a board. Learn more about Fractional CIO (vCIO) services.
• Help desk with published response targets. Our goals are a 1-business-hour response for Priority 1 issues, 2 hours for Priority 2, 4 hours for Priority 3 and 1 business day for Priority 4. These are targets, not guarantees, and they are published on our Service Levels page.
• Clear terms. Projects such as server replacements and migrations are quoted separately from the monthly plan, and onboarding is one month of service. There are no surprises buried in the contract.

We are independently owned, not backed by private equity, and our work is guided by five values: People First, Integrity, Focus on Needs, Initiative and Take Ownership. Read about our values.

Where we serve accounting firms

Our offices are at 180 N Stetson Avenue, Floor 35, Chicago, IL 60601 and 1 Northfield Plaza, Suite 300, Northfield, IL 60093. We serve clients within about a two-hour drive of Northfield: Chicago and the North Shore, Naperville, Aurora, Oak Brook, Schaumburg, Joliet, Orland Park and Tinley Park, Northwest Indiana including Valparaiso and Merrillville, and Southeast Wisconsin including Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee. Many of our clients also have satellite offices across the U.S. and remote team members, and we support them wherever they work.

Our sweet spot is firms with 25 to 300 employees. We do not take clients with fewer than 10 employees.

Frequently asked questions