CPAs, like all providers of personal financial services, are now required by law to inform their clients of their policies regarding privacy of client information.  CPAs have been and continue to be bound by professional standards of confidentiality that are even more stringent than those required by law.  Therefore, we have always protected your right to privacy.

Types of Nonpublic Personal Information We Collect...

We collect nonpublic personal information about you that is provided to us by you or obtained by us with your authorization.  We use this information to prepare your personal income tax returns and may also use it to provide various tax and financial planning services to you at your request.  Examples of sources from which we collect information include interviews and phone calls with you, letters or e-mails from you, tax organizers and questionnaires.

Parties to Whom We Disclose Information...

For current and former clients, we do not disclose any nonpublic personal information obtained in the course of our practice except as required or permitted by law. Certain nonpublic information about you may be disclosed in the following situations:

  1. To comply with a validly issued and enforceable subpoena or summons.
  2. In the course of a review of our firm’s practices under the authorization of a state or national licensing board, or as necessary to properly respond to an inquiry or complaint from such a licensing board or organization.
  3. In conjunction with a prospective purchase, sale, or merger of all or part of our practice, provided that we take appropriate precautions (for example, through a written confidentiality agreement) so the prospective purchaser or merger partner does not disclose information obtained in the course of the review.
  4. As a part of any actual or threatened legal proceedings or alternative dispute resolution proceedings either initiated by or against us, provided we disclose only the information necessary to file, pursue, or defend against the lawsuit and take reasonable precautions to ensure that the information disclosed does not become a matter of public record.
  5. To provide information to a third party who performs services or functions for us in conjunction with our services to you, but only if we have a contractual agreement with the other party which prohibits it from disclosing or using the information other than for the purposes for which it was disclosed.  (Examples of such disclosures include using an outside service bureau to process tax returns or engaging a records-retention agency to store prior year records).

Protecting the Confidentiality and Security of Current and Former Clients’ Nonpublic Personal Information

Except as otherwise described in this notice, we restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to employees of our firm and other parties who must use that information to provide services to you. Their right to further disclose and use the information is limited by the policies of our firm, applicable law, our code of professional conduct, and nondisclosure agreements where appropriate. We also maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in compliance with applicable laws and regulations to guard your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, or premature destruction.

Thank you for allowing us to serve your accounting, tax, and financial planning needs. Please call if you have any questions, because your privacy, our professional ethics, and the ability to provide you with quality financial services are very important to us.