PRIVACY POLICY
Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants believe that it is important for you to know how we treat your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains why we collect personal information, defined as information about an identifiable individual, concerning our clients and other individuals who interact with us, and how we handle that personal information once it is in our possession.
Types of Information We Collect
With your consent, we may gather personal information from you in person, at our office, over the telephone, or by corresponding with you via mail/email.
The type of information we may collect about you depends on the services that we are providing. The information we may collect includes your name, contact information and financial information relating to our services rendered (personal/business). For personal tax return clients, we may collect additional information, such as your date of birth, gender, place of residence and social insurance number. For corporate clients, we may collect further information, such as your firm name, names of partners/shareholders, social insurance numbers of partners/shareholders and legal documents.
How We Use Your Personal Information
Typically, the personal information collected about you is used in filing your personal or business tax returns to the required governing body, such as the Canada Revenue Agency or the Ministry of Finance. We will also use your personal information with regards to other services we offer, such as the preparation of financial statements, tax planning strategies, bookkeeping, investment services, T4 services, working with trust accounts or any other relating services requiring the use of your personal information.
Sharing of Personal Information
From time to time, our firm may share your personal information with requesting entities that are involved with processing information regarding your file, such as your lawyer, banks, financing agencies or the government. We require the organizations with which we share your personal information to have policies regarding personal information consistent with our Privacy Policy or to abide by our policies as relevant to the personal information shared with them.
Your Consent
If you choose to provide personal information to Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants, we assume that you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as outlined in this Privacy Policy. If you do not consent, please do not provide your personal information. If our firm requests additional personal information or intends to use or disclose your personal information differently than described in this Privacy Policy, we will advise you at or before the time of collection, use or disclosure (as the case may be) as to how we will handle that personal information. Our firm will not collect, use or disclose personal information other than as described herein, or as otherwise required or permitted by law. There are limited instances where our firm may collect, use or disclose your personal information without your consent as required or permitted by law, such as to comply with a court order.
Consent may be expressed or implied depending on the circumstances. Please note that, in some cases, your choice to refuse or withdraw consent to certain collection, use or disclosure of personal information may impact on your ability to meet requirements and our ability to provide you with certain products or services.
Retention of Personal Information
Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants will destroy, erase or render anonymous personal information no longer required for the stated purposes or for a legal or legitimate business requirement.
Security Safeguards
Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants takes precautions to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, inappropriate alternation, and misuse. All safety and security measures are appropriate to the sensitivity level of your information. Access to your personal information is restricted to those persons whose job responsibilities require them to have access. Further, the office is equipped with an alarm system to prevent unauthorized access. Access to the Internet is not allowed from individual workstations. Our firm uses technological safeguards such as encrypted passwords and 128-bit encryption technologies when electronically filing your information to certain organizations, such as the Canada Revenue Agency.
How You Can Protect Your Information
There are a number of measures you can take to protect yourself against fraud. For example, you should take precautions in handling your social insurance number. Your social insurance number is necessary for us to identify you and authenticate any request to access your personal information. You should not share your social insurance number with others unless you clearly understand the purpose of their request and you know with whom you are dealing.
Access and Correction of Personal Information
If you wish to request access to, or correction of, your personal information in our firm's records, please submit your request in writing to Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants at the address below:
Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman
Chartered Accountants
PO Box 538
Fort Frances, ON P9A 3M8
Attention: Mr. Karl Zimmerman, CGA, CMA, CFP, CA
Privacy Officer
Some information may not be accessed in certain circumstances; for example, if it contains personal information of other persons or for other legal reasons.
Should you identify any incorrect or out-of-date information, please notify us so that we can make the appropriate changes.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If our firm makes a material change, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.
Inquiries, Questions, or Complaints
If you have any inquiries, questions or complaints regarding our firm's privacy practices, please contact Mr. Karl Zimmerman by phone at (807)274-9861 or by mail (address above).
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