PRIVACY POLICY FOR ATCHLEY & ASSOCIATES, LLP

In accordance with Section 35.581 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code, Atchley & Associates LLP has adopted the following policy pertaining to nonpublic personal information about current and former clients. CPAs have been and continue to be bound by professional standards of confidentiality that are even more stringent than those required by Texas law. It is the policy of Atchley & Associates LLP to protect the confidential nature of all personal information obtained from clients and former clients. Except as disclosed in this agreement, we will not intentionally disclose personal information, including Social Security numbers, to third parties without authorization. 

TYPES OF NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Atchley & Associates LLP requires that you provide your Social Security number because it is necessary for us to use the number when preparing forms and communicating with the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities. We will only use the Social Security number as means of identification with a taxing authority, or as otherwise allowed by you.

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 third parties who assist us in providing services to you, such as CCH Incorporated, the vendor providing us with our tax compliance software, CCH Axcess Tax, and any tax preparers under services agreements that include privacy and confidentiality obligations to protect non-public personal information. All our tax preparers must use only our software and our systems and are not permitted to download or store your non-public personal information outside our systems 

PROTECTING THE CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY OF CURRENT AND FORMER CLIENTS' INFORMATION

We retain records for seven years 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. Atchley & Associates LLP protects Social Security numbers as it protects all of its clients’ confidential information. We use commercially reasonable safeguards on our computer system to prevent unauthorized access of confidential information, including Social Security numbers. Although security cannot be guaranteed, we maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with our professional standards. We require our tax preparers to comply as well.

ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION

Only the accountants and staff of Atchley & Associates LLP and our vetted tax preparers have access to the Social Security numbers in our records. All accountants and staff and tax preparers are instructed to hold this information in confidence and not release it to people outside the firm, except as agreed by you or as required by Texas and federal law.

DISPOSITION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Atchley & Associates LLP will dispose of its business records that contain personal information by modifying the personal information to make it unreadable or undecipherable. We may make personal information unreadable by shredding, erasing, anonymizing, pseudonymizing or other means. We may also dispose of personal information by contracting with a person engaged in the business of disposing of records that contain confidential information.

Your privacy, our professional ethics, and the ability to provide you with quality financial services are very important to us. Please call us at 512-346-2086 or toll-free at 1-877-977-6850 if you have any questions about this privacy policy.