Introduction

STZ Accounting Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”, or “STZ Accounting”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our services.

STZ Accounting is a professional accounting and tax advisory firm based in Strathaven, Scotland. We provide bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and accounting services to business owners and sole traders across the UK.

Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Personal Information: Your name, email address, phone number, postal address, and business details provided when you contact us or request our services.
• Financial Information: Details about your business finances, accounts, tax returns, and financial records that you provide to us as part of our engagement.
• Communication Data: Records of our correspondence with you, including emails and messages.
• Website Data: Information about how you use our website, including analytics about page visits and user behaviour.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide accounting, bookkeeping, tax, and payroll services as agreed with you.
• To communicate with you about our services and respond to your enquiries.
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including HMRC and Companies House requirements.
• To maintain accurate records for audit and accounting purposes.
• To improve our website and services.
• To send you service updates and information about our other services (only with your consent).

Legal Basis for Processing Your Data

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Contract Performance: Processing is necessary to perform the accounting services you have engaged us to provide.
• Legal Obligation: We must process your data to comply with tax law, company law, and other regulatory requirements.
• Legitimate Interests: We may process your data where we have a legitimate interest in doing so, such as maintaining and improving our services.
• Consent: Where required, we process your data only with your explicit consent.

Who We Share Your Data With

We may share your information with:

• HMRC: We share relevant tax and financial information with HMRC as required by law when preparing and submitting tax returns and documentation.
• Cloud Accounting Software Providers: We use secure cloud platforms (such as Xero, FreeAgent, or similar) to manage your financial records and may share necessary data with these providers.
• Professional Advisors: Your accountant or other professional advisors with your explicit consent.
• Other Service Providers: Third parties who assist us in delivering our services (e.g., payroll processors), under strict confidentiality agreements.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data in accordance with HMRC requirements and good accounting practice:

• Financial and Accounting Records: We retain financial records, tax documentation, and accounting files for a minimum of 7 years in line with HMRC requirements.
• Correspondence: Email and communication records are retained as necessary for professional and legal reasons.
• Website Data: Analytics data is typically retained for 24 months.

After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymise your data.

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right of Rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right of Erasure: You can request deletion of your data, subject to our legal obligations.
• Right of Portability: You can request that we provide your data in a machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your data for certain purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. We use analytics tools to understand how visitors use our site. These cookies are used for performance and analytics only, not for marketing purposes. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences.

Security

We take data security seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, or destruction. This includes encrypted data transmission, secure cloud storage, and access controls.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, you can contact us by booking a discovery call at our discovery call page or by emailing david@stzaccounting.co.uk.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website.