AJ Accounting Ltd ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have. It applies to clients, prospective clients and visitors to our website.
1. Who we are
AJ Accounting Ltd is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. We are an accountancy practice based in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
- Email: info@aj-accounts.co.uk
- Phone: 01274 396 979
- Companies House number: 14714781
- ICO registration number: ZB958612
2. The information we collect
Depending on your relationship with us, we may collect:
- Identity and contact details — name, business name, address, email, phone number.
- Identification and verification data — proof of identity and address, dates of birth and similar documents collected to meet our anti-money-laundering obligations.
- Financial and accounting records — the information needed to provide our services, such as income, expenses, payroll, VAT and tax data.
- Correspondence — messages you send us by email, phone, our website or booking forms.
- Website data — limited technical information when you visit our site or interact with embedded tools (for example, our online checklist and booking calendar).
3. How we collect it
We collect information directly from you when you enquire, become a client, or use the forms and tools on our website. We may also receive information from third parties such as HMRC, Companies House or your previous accountant, where relevant to providing our services.
4. How we use your information, and our lawful basis
We process your personal data on the following bases:
- To perform our contract with you — preparing accounts, tax returns, payroll, VAT and bookkeeping, and managing our engagement.
- To meet legal obligations — including anti-money-laundering checks, and our duties under tax and company law.
- For our legitimate interests — running and improving our practice, responding to enquiries, and keeping records, provided this does not override your rights.
- With your consent — for example, to send you marketing emails. You can withdraw consent at any time.
5. Marketing
If you opt in, we may send you helpful updates and occasional marketing by email. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time by clicking it or emailing us.
6. Who we share it with
We do not sell your data. We share it only where necessary to provide our services or meet our obligations, including with:
- HMRC and Companies House, where required to file on your behalf.
- Trusted software providers who process data on our behalf, including Xero (accounting), Microsoft 365 (email and document storage), Engager (practice and client management), Xama (identity and anti-money-laundering checks), Calendly (appointment booking) and MailerLite (email updates).
- Our regulators and professional advisers, where required by law or professional duty.
All providers acting on our behalf are required to keep your data secure and use it only as instructed.
7. International transfers
Some of our software providers may process data outside the UK. Where they do, we take steps to ensure your data receives an equivalent level of protection, for example through approved safeguards.
8. How long we keep it
We keep personal data only as long as necessary. In practice this usually means at least six years for accounting and tax records, and at least five years after our relationship ends for anti-money-laundering records, in line with our legal obligations. We then securely delete or anonymise it.
9. Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Ask us to erase your data, where we are not required to keep it.
- Restrict or object to how we use your data.
- Request your data be transferred to another provider, where applicable.
- Withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on it.
To exercise any of these, email info@aj-accounts.co.uk.
10. Cookies and our website
Our website uses minimal cookies. Some embedded tools, such as our booking calendar and checklist sign-up, may set their own cookies to function. You can control cookies through your browser settings.
11. Complaints
If you have a concern about how we handle your data, please contact us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page, with the date last updated shown at the top.
AJ Accounting Ltd · Bradford, West Yorkshire · info@aj-accounts.co.uk · 01274 396 979