Privacy & Data Security

Last updated: January 1, 2025

Your privacy is not just a policy; it is the cornerstone of our CPA practice. As tax professionals, we are bound by strict ethical standards and federal laws (including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) to protect the confidentiality of your nonpublic personal information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide professional tax and accounting services.

• Identity Information: Name, Social Security Number (SSN), Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), date of birth, and government-issued ID numbers.
• Financial Information: W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, brokerage statements, bank account numbers (for direct deposit/debit), and cryptocurrency transaction records.
• Contact Data: Email address, phone number, and physical address.
• Technical Data: IP addresses and browser type when you interact with our secure portal (for fraud prevention).

2. How We Use Your Information

• To prepare and file your Federal and State tax returns.
• To communicate with you regarding your tax status, missing documents, or IRS notices.
• To process payments for our services (via secure third-party processors like Stripe).
• To comply with legal obligations, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) laws.

Strict Policy: We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Information Sharing & Third Parties

We may share information with trusted third parties solely to facilitate our services:

• Tax Software Providers: To calculate tax liability and electronically file returns with the IRS/State agencies.
• Secure Cloud Storage: To securely store your documents (SOC-2 compliant providers).
• Payment Processors: To facilitate billing (we do not store credit card numbers on our servers).
• Legal Requirement: If compelled by a valid court order, subpoena, or government investigation.

4. Data Security Measures

We utilize industry-standard safeguards to protect your data:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256).
• Access Control: We utilize Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and strict role-based access controls for our staff.
• Secure Portal: We strictly advise clients not to email sensitive documents (like SSNs). We provide a secure, encrypted portal for all document uploads.

5. Data Retention

In accordance with CPA professional standards and IRS regulations, we are required to retain copies of tax returns and supporting workpapers. Generally, we retain records for seven (7) years. After this period, files are securely destroyed in a manner that renders them unreadable.

6. Professional Notices

Circular 230 Disclosure: Any U.S. tax advice contained in this website is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code.

California Residents: Under the CCPA, you may have specific rights regarding your data. However, data collected for the purpose of tax preparation is largely exempt from CCPA deletion requests due to federal retention mandates (GLBA).