Privacy Notice and Cookies Policy
Last updated: May 1, 2024
Art Babb, CPA (“I", "we,” “us,” “our,” or “Art Babb, CPA”) is committed to protecting the privacy of anyone who visits our website or registers to use our services or our mobile applications. This Privacy Notice and Cookies Policy (the “Notice”) is designed to tell you about our practices regarding collection, use, storage, and disclosure of information we collect via our website or our mobile applications and the consent required for those activities. This Notice applies to our website, www.artbabbcpa.com (the “Website”), our mobile applications (the “Applications”), or services that display a link to this Notice. Please be sure to carefully read this Notice in its entirety before using or submitting information to this site.
Your use of this Website
Use of this Website constitutes your agreement to the terms of this Notice and the application of any applicable laws and regulations. Whenever you submit personal data and any other information via this Website, you acknowledge that data and information will be collected, used, and disclosed in accordance with this Notice.
Our services are geared towards businesses and not aimed at children. We do not collect information from children 13 and under. If you are using our services to file personal tax returns, we may receive information about children from you.
Information we collect
We will use and process your personal data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner. “Personal Data” is data relating to you from which you can be reasonably identified. Examples of Personal Data include your full name, email address, postal address, telephone number, job title or the company you work for. We recognize that your Personal Data is valuable, and we process it in accordance applicable law.
We will collect and use your Personal Data solely for the specified and legitimate purposes stated in this Notice. We use your Personal Data to:
Information you provide to us
The Website and the Applications actively collect information from its visitors both by asking you specific questions when you interact with us such as:
We will, depending on the nature of your communication with Art Babb, CPA with respect to your visit to the Website or the Applications, use your Personal Data as follows:
It may also be necessary for us to:
When you provide us with your information, you are giving your consent for your Personal Data to be used by us to contact you by email, direct mail and telephone, and to deliver personalized website experiences, to share information about relevant products, services, best practice information, industry news and events. You are entitled to withdraw your consent to us contacting you or to amend your communication preferences by contacting us at the email address listed under Contact Information below or by logging into your Client Portal.
If you decide that you do not want to receive any correspondence from us about the services we could provide your business, including communications regarding product information, press releases, newsletters, marketing, promotions, and/or other topics please click the “unsubscribe” link provided in that promotional email message or go to your Client Portal. Withdrawing your consent will not affect our use of the Personal Data prior to you withdrawing that consent but it will mean that we will not be able to contact you about the services we may be able to offer you or your business in the future.
Information we collect from your browser and your device
As you navigate through the Website and Applications, we will automatically collect information about your interaction with the Website and Applications such as your IP address, traffic data, clickstream information, time stamp, location data, web logs, other communication data and the resources that you access when you visit the Website and your browser or other applications on your device interact with it. We automatically collect this data using various technologies such as cookies, web logs and beacons and internet tags as described below. This information allows us to better tailor our content to users’ needs and is only gathered while you are on the Website and/or Applications. We may also – with your permission and only if you opt-in to such functionality — collect certain information such as GPS data or automobile trip mileage to enable tax reporting.
Except for the information which you specifically choose to have collected from the Applications, we automatically receive and record such information on our server logs from your browser. As discussed below, we use this information to diagnose problems with our server, report aggregate information for statistical analysis, determine the fastest route for your computer to connect to our Website and administer and improve the Website and/or Applications.
To the extent this information constitutes personal data, we use it to ensure that content from the Website and Applications is presented in the most effective manner for you and your device to improve our customers’ online experience in relation to the Website and Applications.
Information that we collect from third parties
If someone has referred any of our products or services to you through any of our referral programs, that person or entity may have provided us your name, email address, and other Personal Data. You may contact us at artbabb@artbabbcpa.com to request that remove your information from our database. If you provide us information about another person, or if another person gives us your Personal Data, we will only use that information for specific reason for which it was provided to us.
If you purchase a product or service from one of our partners, our services may be bundled with those third-party products or services and we may be provided with your Personal Data to contact you to activate our Art Babb, CPA products or services. If you otherwise express interest in any of our products or services to one of our partners, the partner may pass your name, email address, company name and other Personal Data to us. If you register for or attend an event that is sponsored by us, the event organizer may share your Personal Data with us. Art Babb, CPA may also receive Personal Data from review sites if you comment on or review any of our products and services, and from other third-party service providers with whom we engage for marketing our products and services.
Sharing of information with third parties
We do not sell, rent or lease your Personal Data to unaffiliated third parties without your consent. We also will not use your Personal Data to sell you other Services offered by us or our affiliates without your consent. However, we may share your Personal Data with third parties in certain situations in order to confirm your identity, respond to your request and facilitate your use of the Website and Applications.
By visiting the Websites and using our Services you agree to the following disclosures:
If you use our Services for tax preparation, service providers or sub-contractors located outside the United States may have access to your Personal Data, but only with your prior consent pursuant to Internal Revenue Service regulations. We require all service providers and sub-contractors to have written contracts with us that require them to safeguard your information. They are prohibiting from selling, retaining, using, or disclosing your Personal Data for any purpose other than for the specific purpose of providing the services contracted with us.
We also share your Personal Data with our affiliates for the purposes set forth in this Notice.
Use of cookies
Our Website and Applications use “cookies” to enhance your use of the Website and/or services and to monitor your activity during your visit(s) to the Website and Applications. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your browser and the hard drive of your computer, mobile or other handheld device. The cookies store information about your visit to the Website and Applications and distinguish you from other users. Our use of cookies allows us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our Website and Application.
The use of cookies helps us to display content on the Website and Application and also allows us to obtain and analyze statistics about the use of the Website and Applications so that we can improve it. By continuing to use the Website and Applications you consent to our use of cookies as explained in this Notice.
Below is a description of the types of cookies used on the Website and Applications, and provides detail about what they are used for. When you use the Website and Applications for the first time, cookies which are essential to make the Website and Applications operate (see those identified as “essential cookies” below) will have been set. If you do not want other cookies set, please adjust your browser settings as described below under “Disabling or deleting cookies.”
Some cookies are deleted when you close your browser. These are known as session cookies. Others remain on your device until they expire or you delete them. These are known as persistent cookies and enable us to remember things about you as a returning visitor.
If you do not want cookies to be stored, then you may turn off certain cookies described below individually or you can select the appropriate options on your web browser to delete some or all cookies. Please note, however, that if you block some or all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to use or access all or parts of the Website and Applications, such as being able to log on to member specific areas.
How we use Cookies on our Website and Applications
Session Cookies
We use session cookies for the following purposes:
Persistent Cookies
We use persistent cookies for the following purposes:
Third Party Cookies
Third parties serve cookies via our Website and Applications. These are used for the following purposes:
Disabling or deleting cookies
You can set your browser so that installed cookies are deleted and you do not receive cookies during your next use of the website. Below are links to instruction on how to remove different types of cookies from different browsers:
• Chrome
• Mozilla
• Explorer
• Safari
• Opera
If you disable or delete cookies, it may be that you do not have access to (parts of) the website or that the website does not work optimally. To find out more about these functions, it is best to consult your browser instructions or the help function of your browser.
To find our more about cookies, including information on how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
Please note that Google and other third parties (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies as a result of you visiting other websites, over which we have no control. To opt-out of Google Analytics, please click here.
“Do Not Track”
We do not currently commit to responding to web-browser do not track signals or other mechanisms that provide users the ability to exercise choice regarding the collection of Personal Data about a user’s online activities over time and across third-party websites or online services (“DNT”). This is due in part, because no common industry standard for DNT has been adopted by industry groups, technology companies or regulators. We will continue to monitor developments around DNT browser technology and reassess our practices with respect to DNT as needed.
Security
We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures on our servers, which are designed to protect your Personal Data from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, Personal Data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed. You should keep in mind that Internet transmissions (including emails) are never completely secure or error-free. As such, you should take steps to protect yourself, especially online and take special care in deciding what information you send to us via e-mail or other transmissions. Moreover, where you use passwords, ID numbers, or other special access features on the Website and Applications, it is your responsibility to safeguard them. You should choose a strong password, do not use the same password that you use on other websites and do not share your password with anyone else. Also remember to sign out of your Client Portal and close your browser window when you have finished so that others who may have access to your computer cannot access your Personal Data.
Links to other websites, social media and public forums
This site may contain links or references to other websites. Please be aware that we do not control other websites and, except as otherwise noted in the applicable website, this Notice does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy and cookie policy of every website you visit. We are not responsible for the security or privacy of any information collected by these third parties.
We may offer certain “share” or “social media” functionality on our Website and Applications. If you choose to use these functions, we may and/or the third party social media networks may collect certain information about you depending on the function or feature you use. With respect to the social media features (such as allowing you to post information about your activities or share your information with others on a social media site), the collection and use of information by and your interactions with the third party social media network will be governed by the privacy policy of the company providing those social media features. We are not responsible for the security or privacy of any information collected by these third parties. By providing us with Personal Data about other people, you warrant that they have provided you with their consent to receive the relevant “share” or “social media” communication.
International data transfers
We store and process your personal data in the United States and our services are intended to be used to file and report on United States federal and state tax obligations. By providing us with your Personal Data, you consent to this transfer. Your Personal Data shall be protected in accordance with this Notice regardless of where it is processed or stored.
Your Privacy Rights for California Residents
If you are a resident of California, this section provides information regarding your rights, and our responsibilities, regarding your Personal Data.
If you live in California, you have certain rights regarding your personal information. This includes the right to request:
You may request more information about:
Right to Correct Inaccurate Information. Corrections to inaccuracies in the Personal Data we maintain about you.
Right to Limit Use and Disclosure of Your Sensitive Personal Data. We do not use or disclose sensitive Personal Data for purposes to which the right to limit use and disclosure applies under the CCPA.
Right to Request Deletion of Your Personal Data. You have the right to request that we delete Personal Data collected by us. Following receipt of a verifiable request (as described below), we will let you know what Personal Data we can delete from our records. We will also notify our service providers and request that they delete your Personal Data.
These rights are not absolute, and in some circumstances, we may decline to satisfy your request. For example, if we are unable to verify your identity or if your request impacts other people’s privacy rights, we may deny your request to exercise these rights. We may also deny your request when we have the legal right to do so, such as when we have an ongoing business relationship with you, an ongoing need to use the information for purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or we are legally required to retain your personal information. If we deny your request to exercise your privacy rights, we will tell you why we are denying the request and provide you with information about how to appeal this decision.
If you choose to exercise your privacy rights described above, consistent with California law, we will not charge you different prices or provide a different quality of services unless those differences are related to your personal information.
How to Submit a Request for Access, Correction, or Deletion of Personal Information
If you would like to submit a request about your personal information, we encourage you to do so by completing the form located here. You can also submit a request by emailing artbabb@artbabbcpa.com.
After you submit the request, you will be asked to verify your email address and may also be asked to provide additional information to verify your identity. We will attempt to verify your identity by asking for information that correlates with the information that we have previously collected about you. If this is not possible, we may request you submit additional information for verification, such as proof of residency or redacted government-issued identification.
You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. To designate an authorized agent, you must provide us with written permission for the agent to make the request on your behalf or provide us with an executed power of attorney. You will also be required to submit both your and the authorized agent’s valid government-issued identification.
Selling, Sharing, and Use of Personal Information for Targeted Advertising
We do not currently sell personal information to third parties. If in the future we decide to sell personal information, any personal information collected prior to our update of this Privacy Policy will be excluded from such sale unless you otherwise consent to that additional use of the data.
We do engage in online marketing activities, including activities that may involve us sharing your information for purposes of showing you targeted advertising. If you would like to opt-out of the use of your personal information for these purposes, you can submit this request through this link: 1800accountant.com/data-removal.
Retention of Personal Data
Except as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law or regulation, we will only retain your Personal Data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, as required to satisfy any legal, obligations, or as necessary to resolve disputes. To determine the appropriate retention period for Personal Data, we consider applicable legal requirements, the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the Personal Data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your Personal Data, the purposes for which we process your Personal Data, and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means. For certain types of Personal Data, we will only maintain it for a limited duration.
California “Shine the Light” Requests
California residents who have elected to provide us Personal Data in obtaining products or services for personal, family or household use have a right to request and obtain from us once a calendar year information about the customer information we have shared, if any, with other businesses for their own direct marketing uses. This information would include the categories of customer information specified in the California “Shine the Light” law, and we will also provide the names and addresses of those businesses with which we shared customer information for the immediately preceding calendar year. We do not share Personal Data with other businesses for their own direct marketing uses.
To obtain this information, California residents should send an email to artbabb@artbabbcpa.com with “Request for California Privacy Rights Info” on the subject line. We will provide the requested information to you at the email address you provide for a response.
Changes to this Privacy Notice
We may from time to time amend this Notice to reflect any changes in our practices, services and legal obligations. If we make any material changes to the way we collect, use or share your Personal Data, we will notify you of those changes by posting an updated notice on the specific site to which it relates or by an electronic communication to you, which will indicate the effective date of the proposed changes. Your continued use of the Website and the Applications and the services following the effective date of a change to this Notice signifies your acceptance and agreement to the terms of the revised notice. We encourage you to periodically visit this page to determine the current terms to which you are bound. This Notice has been revised at the “Last Updated” date displayed at the top of this Notice.
Contact information
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this Notice or our privacy practices or wish to file a complaint, please contact us via email: artbabb@artbabbcpa.com.
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