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To Our Clients:
Your privacy is important to us, and maintaining your trust and confidence is one of our highest priorities. We respect your right to keep your personal information confidential and understand your desire to avoid unwanted solicitations. A recent law change requires us (along with banks, brokerage houses, and other financial institutions) to disclose our Privacy Policy to you which we are more than happy to do. We hope that by taking a few minutes to read it, you will have a better understanding of what we do with the information you provide us and how we keep it private and secure.
A. Types of Information We Collect
We collect certain personal information about you but only when that information is provided by you or is obtained by us with your authorization. We use that information to prepare your personal income tax returns and may also 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 return or financial planning organizers, and
- financial history questionnaires
B. Parties to Whom We Disclose Information
As a general rule, we do not disclose personal information about our clients or former clients to anyone. However, to the extent permitted by law and any applicable state Code of Professional Conduct, certain nonpublic information about you may be disclosed in the following situations:
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To comply with a validly issued and enforceable
subpoena or summons.
- 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 of
organization.
- 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 in the course of the review.
- 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.
- To provide information to affiliates
of the firm and nonaffiliated third parties
who perform 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 them 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)
C. Confidentiality and Security of 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. We value
your business and are committed to protecting
your privacy. We hope you view our firm as
your most trusted advisor and we will work
to continue earning your trust. Please call
us if you have any questions or if we can be
of further service.
Best regards.
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