About this policy
Accounting4u (ABN 47 997 551 131) provides bookkeeping, BAS, tax, virtual CFO and accounting systems services to Australian businesses. We respect your privacy and handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and how you can access it or make a complaint. In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Accounting4u.
What we collect
We only collect information we need to respond to you and to provide our services. Depending on how you deal with us, this may include:
- your name, business name, email address, phone number and postal address
- the details you share when you contact us, book a call or use our chat
- business and financial records needed to deliver our services, such as bank transactions, invoices, payroll records and accounting software data
- tax and identification information, such as your Tax File Number (TFN), Australian Business Number (ABN) and ATO and ASIC records, where we need them to act for you
- information about how you use our website, collected through cookies and analytics
You can contact us without giving your name, but we may not be able to help you fully without it. We handle TFNs in line with the Privacy (Tax File Number) Rule 2015 and only use them for lawful tax and superannuation purposes.
How we collect it
We collect information directly from you when you fill in a form on our website, use our chat, book a call, email or phone us, or become a client. With your permission, we may also collect information from third parties such as the ATO, ASIC, your bank feeds, your accounting software, your previous accountant or bookkeeper, and other advisers you work with.
How we use it
- to respond to your enquiry and arrange a call
- to provide bookkeeping, BAS, tax, payroll, advisory and systems services
- to prepare and lodge returns and statements with the ATO and other government agencies on your behalf
- to meet our legal and professional obligations, including under tax law and as registered Tax Practitioners Board agents and registered ASIC agents
- to invoice you and manage our relationship with you
- to improve our website and services
- to send you updates or information we think will be useful. You can opt out of marketing at any time.
We do not sell your personal information.
Who we share it with
We only share personal information where it is needed to provide our services, where you have agreed, or where the law requires or allows it. This may include:
- the Australian Taxation Office, ASIC and other government agencies
- accounting, payroll and practice software providers we use to deliver our services, such as Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB and SAP
- cloud storage, email and communication providers
- the services that run our website forms, chat and analytics
- other professionals you ask us to work with, such as your lawyer, financial adviser or lender
We expect these providers to protect your information and use it only for the purpose it was shared.
Overseas storage
Some of the software and cloud services we use may store information on servers outside Australia, including in the United States and other countries. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to make sure your information is handled in a way that is consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.
Website, cookies and analytics
Our website uses cookies, Google Analytics and the Meta (Facebook) Pixel to understand how visitors use the site, such as which pages are viewed and how people find us, and to measure our advertising. Google Analytics reports to us in aggregate and does not identify you. Meta may link Pixel data to your Facebook or Instagram account under its own privacy policy. Our live chat is provided by Chatway. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings.
When you send us a message through our website, your details are passed to the form service that delivers it to our inbox. Our website may link to other websites, such as our booking page or social media. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites.
How we protect it
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, change or disclosure. This includes secure cloud software, access controls, multi-factor authentication and staff confidentiality. We keep records for as long as we need them for our services and to meet legal record-keeping requirements, then securely destroy or de-identify them.
If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected people and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner where required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
Access and correction
You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it if it is wrong, out of date or incomplete. Contact us using the details below. We will respond within a reasonable time, usually within 30 days. In limited cases the law may allow us to refuse access, and if so we will tell you why.
Questions and complaints
If you have a question about this policy or a concern about how we have handled your information, please contact us first. We will look into it and respond within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page.