CPAs, like all providers of personal financial services, are now required by law to inform their clients of their policies regarding privacy of client information.
CPAs have been and continue to be bound by professional standards of confidentiality that are even more stringent than those required by law.
Therefore, we have always protected your right to privacy.
Types of Nonpublic Personal Information We Collect
We collect nonpublic personal information about you that is provided to us by you or obtained by us with your authorization.
Parties to Whom We Disclose Information
For current and former clients, we do not disclose any nonpublic personal information obtained in the course of our practice except as required or permitted by law. Permitted disclosures include, for instance, providing information to our employees, and in limited situations, to unrelated third parties who need to know that information to assist us in providing services to you. In all such situations, we stress the confidential nature of information being shared. Nonpublic Personal Information about you and our former clients may be disclosed to both our affiliates and nonaffiliated third parties as permitted by law, our Code of Professional Conduct, and Ethics Rulings of the AICPA, as follows:
- Complying with a validly issued and enforceable subpoena or summons,
- In the course of a review of our firm's practices under the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) or New York State Board for Public Accountancy authorization.
- Initiating a complaint or responding to an inquiry made by the Professional Ethics Committee of the NYSSCPA, the ethics division or trial board of AICPA or duly constituted investigative or disciplinary body of another State CPA Society or Board of Accountancy.
- A review of a professional practice 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 does not disclose information obtained in the course of the review.
- Participating in 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.
- Providing information to affiliates of the firm and nonaffiliated third parties who perform services or functions for us pursuant to a contractual agreement which prohibits the third party or affiliate from disclosing or using the information other than for the purposes for which the information was disclosed: for example, using an outside service bureau to process client's tax returns, or, using a records-retention agency to store client's records.
General Restrictions on Disclosure of Nonpublic Personal Information to Affiliates and Nonaffiliated Third Parties
As tax preparers, we are prohibited by Internal Revenue Code Section 7216 from disclosing your income tax return information without your consent, other than for the specific purpose of preparing, assisting in preparing or obtaining and providing services in connection with the preparation of an income tax return for you. Furthermore, as a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants engaged in income tax preparation or financial planning, we are generally prohibited from disclosing confidential client information about you to affiliates and nonaffiliated third parties without your specific consent.
Protecting the Confidentiality and Security of Current and Former Clients’ Information
We retain records relating to professional services that we provide so that we are better able to assist you with your professional needs and, in some cases, to comply with professional guidelines. In order to guard your nonpublic personal information, we maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with our professional standards.
Please call if you have any questions, because your privacy, our professional ethics, and the ability to provide you with quality financial services are very important to us.
Rev. 6/28/01