Privacy Policy
Effective Date: October 8, 2024
At Thomas Cornwell CPA, PLLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”), we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal data in connection with the services we provide, including accounting, tax preparation, and consulting services, as well as your use of our website (“Site”).
By using our Site or Services, you agree to the collection and use of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We collect personal information necessary to provide you with our professional services. The types of information we may collect include:
a. Personal Information
- Contact details such as your name, email address, phone number, and home/business address.
- Financial information such as tax returns, bank account information, investment details, income, and other financial data.
- Identification information such as Social Security Number (SSN), Tax Identification Number (TIN), and other government-issued IDs.
b. Website Usage Information
We may also collect non-personal information about your use of our Site, including:
- IP address
- Location data
- Browser type and version
- Pages you visit on our Site
- Date and time of your visit
- Additional non-identifying demographic or tracking information supplied by your browser.
This information is used for internal analysis and to improve the performance and security of our website.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the personal information you provide to:
- Provide accounting, tax, and consulting services.
- Prepare and file tax returns on your behalf.
- Communicate with you regarding your account and our services.
- Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Maintain internal records for billing, audit, and regulatory purposes.
- Search engine optimization.
- Internal business development and plannings.
We may also use your information to send newsletters or updates about our services, but only if you have opted in to receive such communications. You may opt-out of our promotional communications at any time.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal information:
- To perform the services you have engaged us for (contractual necessity).
- To comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax reporting requirements).
- For legitimate business interests, such as improving our services and managing client relationships.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following cases:
- With third-party service providers: We may share your information with third parties that help us provide our services, such as tax software providers or secure document storage vendors. These providers are required to protect your information and may only use it to provide services on our behalf.
- Legal and regulatory disclosures: We may disclose your personal information if required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., court orders, subpoenas, or IRS requests).
5. Data Security
We take reasonable precautions to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include secure file storage, encryption, firewalls, and restricted access to sensitive data. However, no data transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Retention of Your Information
We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and comply with legal, regulatory, and accounting obligations. When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize it.
Except in cases where we acted grossly negligent, intentionally tortious, or with reckless disregard for the safety of your data, we cannot be held liable for the actions of third parties that gain unauthorized access to your data.
Data security works both ways. In order to safeguard your data, you must also take reasonable measures to protect your passwords, access to any login information, and any computers that save your login information.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your location and applicable laws, you may have the following rights concerning your personal information:
- Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccuracies in your personal information.
- Deletion: In certain circumstances, you may request the deletion of your personal information.
- Objection/Restriction: You may object to or request the restriction of our processing of your personal information.
- Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal information in a machine-readable format.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided below. We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by applicable law.
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our Site may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and analyze website traffic. You can choose to accept or decline cookies by modifying your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our Site.
9. Third-Party Links
Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.
10. Children’s Privacy
Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. The updated version will be posted on our Site with the revised effective date. Your continued use of our Site or Services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us at:
Thomas Cornwell CPA, PLLC
8601 Six Forks Road, Suite 400 Raleigh, NC 27615
(919)391-3764
Tom@tcornwellcpa.com