Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 2/8/2025
Last Updated: 2/8/2025

Brendan CPA (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal and financial data when you use our website and services.

By using our website or engaging with our services, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services or submit personal information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information depending on your interactions with our website and services.

A. Information You Provide Directly

• Contact Form Submissions – When you fill out a contact form, we collect your name, email, phone number, address, and message content.
• Client Tax & Financial Documents – When using our tax preparation, tax planning, or bookkeeping services, we may collect sensitive financial information, including:
  ✅ Tax returns & financial statements
  ✅ Social Security numbers (SSNs) & EINs
  ✅ Income records, W-2s, 1099s
  ✅ Banking and payment details (for tax filings or refunds)
  ✅ Business financials and investment records

B. Information Collected Automatically

• Google Analytics Tracking – Our website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous data such as:
  ✅ Device type, browser, and IP address
  ✅ Pages visited and time spent on the site
  ✅ Geographic location (general region, not precise)
• This data helps us improve website performance and is not used for personal identification.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

✅ Providing Services – Tax preparation, bookkeeping, and tax planning.
✅ Client Communication – Responding to inquiries and scheduling consultations.
✅ Compliance & Legal Obligations – Following IRS, New York State, and AICPA requirements.
✅ Security & Fraud Prevention – Ensuring safe data handling and preventing unauthorized access.
✅ Website Performance Analysis – Using Google Analytics to enhance user experience.

We never sell your personal data or use it for marketing without your explicit consent.

3. How We Store and Protect Your Data

Brendan CPA is committed to securing sensitive financial and personal data through strict security measures.

✅ Encrypted Cloud Storage – All tax and financial documents are stored in a secure, encrypted cloud server (ProConnect Tax).
✅ Client Portal for Uploads – Clients submit tax documents via a secure client portal to ensure confidentiality.
✅ No Physical Copies – We do not store or print paper copies of any sensitive client documents.
✅ Access Control – Only authorized personnel have access to client data, in compliance with AICPA confidentiality standards.

4. When We Share Your Data

We do not share your personal or financial data unless legally required. We may disclose data in the following cases:

✅ Legal Compliance – If required by IRS, federal, or state tax authorities, or in response to a court order or subpoena.
✅ Fraud Prevention & Security – If necessary to protect our business, clients, or comply with anti-fraud laws.
✅ Service Providers – We may share non-sensitive information with third-party tools like Google Analytics, but we do not share tax or financial data with any external entity.

We never sell or disclose tax records, financial statements, or any sensitive data to marketing firms or third-party advertisers.

5. Your Privacy Rights & Choices

As a client or visitor, you have control over your personal information.

A. Request Access or Corrections

You may request access to your personal data and correct any inaccuracies by contacting us at [email protected]

B. Data Deletion Requests

• If you no longer wish for us to retain your information, you may request account deletion or tax document removal (subject to legal record-keeping requirements).
• Some financial records must be retained for legal compliance (e.g., IRS regulations require CPAs to maintain certain tax records for up to 7 years).

C. Opting Out of Google Analytics Tracking

You can disable tracking by:
✅ Adjusting your browser settings to block cookies.
✅ Using Google’s opt-out tools: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

6. Data Retention Policy

We retain personal and tax-related data only as long as legally required:

✅ Client tax records – Stored for up to 7 years (per IRS & NY regulations).
✅ General client information – Retained until service completion or upon request for deletion.
✅ Website analytics data – Kept for up to 26 months for performance monitoring.

Once the retention period expires, data is securely deleted.

7. Third-Party Services & Cookies

Brendan CPA uses trusted third-party services for website analytics and client data storage. These services have their own privacy policies:

✅ Google Analytics – Tracks website traffic (Google’s Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy).
✅ ProConnect Tax (Intuit) – Securely stores tax documents (Intuit’s Privacy Policy: https://www.intuit.com/privacy/).

By using our website, you agree to these services’ privacy terms.

8. Governing Law & Compliance

This Privacy Policy follows:

✅ New York State CPA Laws & Regulations.
✅ AICPA Code of Professional Conduct (Confidential Client Information Rule 1.700.001).
✅ IRS Data Protection & Security Guidelines.
✅ Federal Privacy Laws (GLBA, FTC Safeguards Rule, etc.).

Any disputes regarding this Privacy Policy are governed by the laws of New York, USA.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If changes are significant, we will notify clients via email or website updates. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

For privacy-related inquiries, data access requests, or security concerns, please contact us:

📧 Email: [email protected]
📍 Address: [email protected]

By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this Privacy Policy.