IT that doesn’t go down during tax season.
Your busiest weeks are also the weeks you can least afford downtime. We build IT around the reality of tax season, not around a generic support calendar.
Accounting firm IT, answered directly
By Joe Engelking, CEO. Updated October 2026.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Provider | LME Services, a family-owned managed IT and cybersecurity company |
| Founded | 1994, by Leon Engelking (formerly of IBM) |
| CEO | Joe Engelking |
| Headquarters | 1265 Freeman Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 |
| Phone | 847-496-5196 |
| Accounting clients | Tromp, C.P.A.; James G. Dades & Company; Coleman Joseph Blitstein & Stuart |
| Focus | Tax-season uptime and protecting client personal data |
| Services | Managed IT, cybersecurity, backup and disaster recovery, business phone systems, compliance support (HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO) |
| Support | 24/7 monitoring, remote help, and on-site support when needed |
| Google rating | 4.9 out of 5 from 30 reviews |
| Agreement | One-year agreement with a 90-day opt-out |
| First step | Free assessment |
What does managed IT cost for an accounting firm?
We price managed IT as a flat monthly plan based on your people, devices, and what you need to protect, so there is no one-size price. After a short discovery call we send a quote the same day. There are no surprise line items. Service runs on a one-year agreement with a 90-day opt-out.
What written security plan do tax and accounting firms need?
Tax preparers are generally expected to maintain a written information security plan covering access controls, encryption, backups, employee training, and an incident response plan. Beyond the legal expectation, clients and insurers increasingly ask to see one. We help firms put the controls in place and document them.
How should an accounting firm get its IT ready for tax season?
Do the work before the rush: test backups, review who has access to what, apply updates, replace aging hardware in the off-season, and confirm support coverage for your busiest weeks. A failed server in March costs far more than a planned upgrade in the fall.
What are the biggest cyber risks for accounting firms?
The main risks are phishing and business email compromise, stolen credentials for e-file and client portal accounts, and ransomware timed for tax season. Firms hold tax IDs, bank details, and financial records, which makes them attractive targets. Multifactor authentication, email protection, monitoring, and tested backups address most of it.
| Topic | LME Services | Typical generic provider |
|---|---|---|
| Tax season availability | Support planned around your busiest weeks | A generic support calendar |
| Client tax and financial data | Encrypted, with access controls and monitoring | Standard protection |
| Written security plan | Controls documented alongside the setup | Left for you to write |
| Backups | Tested restores before the season starts | Backups assumed to work |
| Practice management software | Supported and secured as you run it today | Asks you to change tools |
Keeping a CPA practice running through tax season
James E. Tromp, C.P.A. is a practice we manage the security for. Our job is to make sure their systems are up and running for tax season, and that client personal information is being properly managed.
Joe Engelking, CEO
Built around the accounting calendar.
Tax-season reliability
Support and monitoring scaled up, not down, during your busiest and highest-stakes weeks.
Client PII protection
Encryption and access controls built around the SSNs, financial records, and tax data your clients hand you every year.
Software support
Ongoing support for the tax prep, bookkeeping, and practice management software your firm runs on.
Coverage built for accounting practices.
Tax season doesn’t leave room for downtime.
A system outage in March costs an accounting firm more than the same outage would cost most businesses — deadlines don’t move for your clients or the IRS. We build support that scales up for your busiest weeks instead of treating every month the same.
Managed IT for Accounting Firms
Accountants need reliable access to client financials, tax software, and secure file-sharing portals every day of the year — but especially during the highest-stakes weeks around filing deadlines. We monitor and maintain your systems proactively so a server issue in April doesn't become your problem to solve mid-crunch.
Cybersecurity for Accounting Firms
Accounting firms hold Social Security numbers, bank account details, and full tax filings — a prime target for wire fraud and identity theft schemes. A breach doesn't just cost your firm; it puts every client's financial identity at risk and can end the relationship permanently. We build layered security specifically around the data accounting firms hold.
Backup & Disaster Recovery for Accounting Firms
Losing a year of client financial records to ransomware right before a deadline isn't hypothetical — it happens to firms without tested backups every tax season. We run automated, versioned backups with documented recovery times, so a ransomware attack or hardware failure doesn't turn into a missed deadline for every client you serve.
Trusted by local businesses.
James E. Tromp, C.P.A. has trusted us with practice management software support, client PII encryption, and the scaled availability that comes with tax season — the same coverage every accounting firm on our roster depends on when the calendar gets tight.
Real businesses, real relationships.
“They deliver on a wide breadth of IT services and ensure everything works correctly. With the personal touch of a small team, LME communicates efficiently and is instantly responsive by email or phone.”
“When Joe assigned Ivan as our lead, we felt like we finally had IT solved. Ivan has been with us 24×7 and the team behind him makes sure nothing falls through the cracks.”
Common questions
Yes — we support and secure the platforms your firm already runs on rather than requiring a switch.
Encryption, access controls, and monitoring are built around the sensitivity of SSNs and financial records specifically, not treated as generic files.
Yes — tax season is exactly when reliability matters most, so monitoring and response are prioritized accordingly, not treated the same as a slow month.
Yes — most firms we support are small to mid-size, which is exactly the size our plans are built around.