No matter the industry, two of any company’s most precious assets are its employees’ personally identifiable information (PII) and its reputation. The recent surge in identity theft and tax fraud put both at risk.
“In the past, we’ve never had a problem with [tax fraud]” said Lance Barrett, managing member of Vancouver-based accounting firm Barrett & Company PLLC. “But last year, 4 percent of our clients had problems.”
From FY 2011 to FY 2012, the IRS saw a 78 percent increase in identity theft cases. Over the last five years, the number of cases has increased 413 percent. Just this year, the Archdioceses of Seattle and Portland experienced wide-spread theft of PII (such as social security numbers); many Southwest Washington employees and volunteers were subsequently victims of tax fraud.
Rather than the typical “talking head” address, our bi-monthly Boardroom Breakfast series offers attendees the opportunity to have an informative and interactive exchange with a featured CEO or business owner. Following a few questions from the VBJ, the conversation will open up to those in attendance to ask the questions about which they are most interested.
What’s the secret to building a destination business? What challenges did you overcome? How do you get the soil right for growing grapes? Attendees will get the answers to these questions and many more.
The Boardroom Breakfast will be held at the Artillery Barracks at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The event runs from 7:30 to 9 a.m.
To purchase a ticket, visit our event page.
Headshot courtesy Fort Vancouver National Trust
