Privacy Policy

David Procter Accountancy Services Ltd

David Procter Accountancy Services Ltd is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when you contact us, use our website, become a client, request accountancy services, or communicate with us.

This Privacy Policy should be read alongside our Terms & Conditions, Website Terms of Use, Cookie Policy, GDPR / Data Protection Statement, and DPAS Standard Terms and Conditions of Business where applicable.

Information We May Collect

We may collect personal information when you contact us, complete an enquiry form, request a quotation, become a client, send us documents, communicate with us by email, telephone, post, or electronic systems, or use our website.

The personal information we may collect includes:

Name
Business name
Postal address
Email address
Telephone number
Mobile number
Date of birth
National Insurance number
Unique Taxpayer Reference
Company registration details
VAT information where relevant to your business affairs
Payroll information
Pension information
Bookkeeping records
Accounting records
Bank details
Invoices and receipts
Tax records
HMRC correspondence
Companies House information
Identification documents
Proof of address documents
Client correspondence
Payment information
Information required for anti-money laundering checks
Website usage information
IP address
Browser and device information

Due to the nature of accountancy, tax, payroll, VAT, bookkeeping, and compliance services, we may also receive confidential financial, business, and tax information.

Why We Collect Your Information

We collect and use personal information to:

Respond to enquiries
Provide quotations
Carry out client identification and anti-money laundering checks
Provide accountancy services
Prepare accounts
Prepare tax returns
Prepare VAT returns
Provide bookkeeping support
Provide payroll services
Communicate with HMRC, Companies House, pension providers, software providers, and other relevant third parties where authorised
Maintain client records
Manage billing and payments
Meet legal and regulatory requirements
Comply with ACCA professional obligations
Provide professional advice
Handle complaints
Protect our legal and business interests
Improve our website and services
Monitor website usage through analytics where consent has been given

Lawful Basis For Processing

We process personal data under one or more lawful bases, including:

Contractual necessity, where processing is required to provide services or take steps before providing services.

Legal obligation, where we are required to keep records, comply with tax law, anti-money laundering rules, professional obligations, or regulatory requirements.

Legitimate interests, where processing is necessary for running our accountancy practice, managing client relationships, protecting our business, and providing professional services.

Consent, where you have given clear permission for a specific purpose, such as optional marketing or non-essential cookies.

Client Identification And Anti-Money Laundering Checks

As a professional accountancy practice, we are required to identify and verify clients for the purposes of UK anti-money laundering legislation.

We may request and retain information and documentation required for these purposes. We may also carry out searches using appropriate databases, including ID verification software.

Save for exceptional circumstances, we cannot start work until the required identification and verification checks have been completed.

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal data.

Where necessary, we may share information with:

HMRC
Companies House
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, known as ACCA
Payroll software providers
Bookkeeping software providers
Cloud accounting platforms
Pension providers
Banks and payment providers
IT support providers
ID verification providers
Professional advisers
Insurance providers
Legal advisers
Subcontracted tax or accounting professionals
Regulatory bodies
Government authorities
Third parties instructed or authorised by you

We may also share information where required by law, professional rules, court order, regulatory obligations, or where necessary to protect our legal rights.

Subcontractors

We may, on occasion, subcontract work relating to your affairs to other tax or accounting professionals.

Any subcontractors will be bound by confidentiality and security obligations.

Confidentiality

Communication between us is confidential.

We will take reasonable steps not to disclose your information except where authorised by you, required by law, required by professional obligations, or as set out in this Privacy Policy.

This confidentiality obligation applies during and after our engagement with you.

Electronic Communication

Where we communicate by email or other electronic means, there is a risk of non-receipt, delayed receipt, misdirection, interception, viruses, or corruption of data.

We use reasonable safeguards, including virus-scanning software, but electronic communication is not completely secure.

If you do not wish to accept the risks of electronic communication, please tell us and we will communicate by hard copy where possible, except where electronic submission is mandatory.

Google Analytics And Website Data

Our website may use Google Analytics or similar analytics tools to understand how visitors use the website.

Analytics data may include IP address, device type, browser type, pages visited, time spent on pages, referral source, and general website usage behaviour.

Where required, analytics cookies will only be used after consent has been given.

Cookies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational steps to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

These steps may include secure systems, password protection, restricted access, secure record keeping, careful email handling, staff awareness, and appropriate procedures for handling client information.

Data Retention

We only keep personal data for as long as necessary.

As an accountancy practice, we may need to retain records for legal, tax, accounting, professional, regulatory, insurance, and business reasons.

Documents and records relevant to tax affairs are generally retained as follows:

Individuals, trustees, and partnerships with trading or rental income: five years and 10 months after the end of the tax year.

Individuals without trading or rental income: 22 months after the end of the tax year.

Companies, LLPs, and other corporate entities: six years from the end of the accounting period.

We may destroy correspondence and other papers stored electronically or otherwise which are more than seven years old, unless you have asked us to retain specific documents for longer or another law or regulation requires otherwise.

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances
Request restriction of processing
Object to processing in certain circumstances
Withdraw consent where consent has been used
Request transfer of your data where applicable

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details above.