Privacy Policy

Introduction

R Tax Services ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services. Because we prepare tax returns, we are subject to federal rules that go beyond those that apply to most businesses. Those rules are described below.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Contact us through our website contact form or new client questionnaire
• Schedule an appointment through our booking system
• Use our client portal
• Request a tax organizer or portal access
• Engage our tax preparation services

This information may include:

• Name and contact information (email address, phone number, mailing address)
• Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number
• Financial information (income, deductions, tax documents)
• Other information relevant to your tax preparation needs

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website
• Device information

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide tax preparation and related professional services
• Communicate with you about your tax matters
• Respond to your inquiries and requests
• Schedule and manage appointments
• Improve our website and services
• Send you updates and information about our services (with your consent)
• Comply with legal obligations and tax regulations
• Prevent fraud and ensure security

Use and Disclosure of Tax Return Information (IRC Section 7216)

Information you give us to prepare a tax return, and anything we derive from it, is "tax return information" under Internal Revenue Code Section 7216 and Treasury Regulation Section 301.7216. Federal law restricts how a tax return preparer may use or disclose that information, and violations carry criminal penalties. We follow those rules:

• We use your tax return information only to prepare your returns and to provide the related services you engaged us for.
• We do not use it for marketing, and we do not disclose it to anyone outside the firm for any purpose other than preparing your return, unless the law requires or permits the disclosure or you have given us a written consent that meets the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 301.7216-3.
• When a consent is needed (for example, to share information with your financial advisor, lender, or another professional at your request), we will provide a separate written consent form for your signature. A consent is specific, dated, and revocable, and you are never required to sign one as a condition of having your return prepared.
• Disclosures permitted without consent under Treasury Regulation Section 301.7216-2, such as those to the IRS, to state tax agencies, to our tax software and e-file providers, and to the professional staff who work on your return, are made only as needed to prepare and file your return.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the FTC Safeguards Rule

Paid tax return preparers are "financial institutions" under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. That makes us subject to the Federal Trade Commission's Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314), which requires us to maintain a written program to protect customer information. This Privacy Policy includes the privacy notice the Act requires, and we also provide that notice to each client with our engagement letter or onboarding packet. In short: we do not sell your nonpublic personal information, and we share it with nonaffiliated third parties only as described in this policy and as the law permits.

Written Information Security Plan (WISP)

We maintain a Written Information Security Plan as required by the FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR 314.4). The plan follows the guidance in IRS Publication 4557 (Safeguarding Taxpayer Data) and covers, among other things:

• A designated individual responsible for the security program
• Periodic risk assessments of how client information is collected, stored, and transmitted
• Encryption of client data in transit and at rest, including our secure client portal
• Multi-factor authentication and access controls limiting who can see client information
• Staff training on data protection, phishing, and confidentiality
• Oversight of the service providers who handle client information on our behalf
• Secure disposal of records at the end of their retention period
• An incident response plan, summarized in the breach notification section below

Breach Notification

If we discover that your personal information has been, or is reasonably believed to have been, acquired by an unauthorized person, we will:

• Notify you without unreasonable delay, and within 45 days of discovery, and notify the Indiana Attorney General, in accordance with the Indiana Disclosure of Security Breach law (Ind. Code 24-4.9)
• Comply with the breach notification law of your state of residence if you live outside Indiana
• Report the incident to the IRS through our local Stakeholder Liaison and to the Indiana Department of Revenue, as the IRS directs for tax professionals, so that fraudulent returns filed in your name can be flagged
• Notify the Federal Trade Commission as soon as possible, and no later than 30 days after discovery, if the incident involves the unencrypted information of 500 or more people, as the Safeguards Rule requires
• Tell you what happened, what information was involved, what we are doing about it, and what steps you can take, such as requesting an IRS Identity Protection PIN

How We Protect Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption for data transmission
• Secure storage systems with restricted access
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Employee training on data protection and confidentiality
• Secure client portal for document exchange

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With your consent: When you authorize us in writing to share information with third parties (for tax return information, that consent must meet the Section 7216 requirements described above)
• Service providers: With trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating our website or providing our services (for example, our tax software, e-file transmitter, client portal, email service, and appointment scheduling software), each of which is bound to protect your information
• Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental authority
• IRS and tax authorities: As required for filing tax returns and compliance with tax regulations
• Professional advisors: With attorneys, accountants, or other professional advisors when necessary for providing services and permitted by law

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Our firm's retention policy for tax work is:

• We keep copies of your returns and our workpapers for seven years. Please keep your own source documents. This exceeds the three-year minimum for preparers under IRC Section 6107(b) and covers the six-year assessment period under IRC Section 6501(e).
• Records for an open matter (an audit, an unresolved notice, or an amended return in progress) are kept until the matter is closed, even if that is longer than seven years.
• At the end of the retention period, paper records are cross-cut shredded and electronic records are securely deleted.

This is our internal policy. It is not a substitute for keeping your own records, and the periods that apply to you as a taxpayer are different. See our records retention guide for how long you should keep your own returns and supporting documents.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Opt-out of marketing communications
• Revoke a Section 7216 consent you previously gave us, effective for future disclosures
• Request a copy of your information in a portable format

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies, including Google Analytics, to understand how visitors use the site and to protect our forms against abuse. Cookies are small files stored on your device. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. We do not place tax return information in cookies or analytics.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including our appointment scheduling service (TidyCal), our client portal, and government sites such as IRS.gov and INTIME. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

Children's Privacy

Our website and marketing are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We collect information about minors only when a parent or guardian provides it as part of a tax engagement (for example, a dependent's name and Social Security number), and that information is protected as tax return information under Section 7216.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

Professional Standards

As tax professionals, we are bound by professional standards and ethical obligations regarding client confidentiality, including Treasury Department Circular 230, which governs practice before the IRS. Circular 230 governs our professional conduct; the use and disclosure of your tax return information is governed separately by IRC Section 7216 as described above, and both apply to us.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, or if you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us:

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By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.