H&R Block is offering its customers protection against tax identity theft via an agreement with Equifax. The company says the Tax Identity Shield will provide tools and information to help clients combat ID theft, including the helping in obtaining an IRS Identity Protection PIN. However, the shield protects returns for tax year 2015, not those filed during the current season.

Two audit firms and seven partners in those firms are accused of ignoring signs that an stock promoter, who allegedly hid his control of several shell companies, was engaging in fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission has instituted a litigated administrative proceeding against John Briner, a Canada-based attorney, who had previously been suspended from practicing before the SEC with the securities registration of 20 of his purported mining companies revoked last year.

The use of video social media sites by accounting firms will increase this year as indicated by the 2014 Social CPAs Survey. Drawing from responses by 395 participants, the survey found that 38.3 percent of respondents plan to add YouTube or Vimeo to the list of social channels they use during 2015. Google+ also showed strong potential in the online survey.

A lot of neat new electronic gadgets and devices will be introduced this week at the annual Consumer Electronic show in Las Vegas, Nev. Many will not have a direct impact on the technology at use at tax and accounting firms. Wearable devices and the new Panasonic Bread Maker with gluten-free baking mode probably are not on the buying list.