Privacy at a glance
Your information is used to look after you, and nothing else.
About this policy
This Privacy Policy explains how [Finhub Advisory Group Pty Ltd] (ABN [ABN]), trading as Finhub Group ("Finhub", "we", "us"), collects, uses, stores and discloses personal information. We are a registered tax agent (TPB registration number [TPB number]).
We handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and our confidentiality obligations as a registered tax agent. This policy applies to our website, finhubgroup.com.au, and to the services we provide.
What personal information we collect
We only collect information we need to respond to you and provide our services. Depending on how you deal with us, this may include:
- Contact details: your name, email address, mobile number and state.
- Enquiry and booking details: what you need help with, your message, and appointment times you book.
- Information we need to provide our services: date of birth, tax file number, ABN, income, expenses, bank and super details, business and financial records, identity documents, and correspondence with the ATO or ASIC.
- Communications: emails, SMS messages, call notes and messages through our social media pages.
- Website data: your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you visit and how you arrived at our site.
We do not ask for sensitive information (such as health information) unless it is needed for a service you ask us to provide, and then only with your consent.
How we collect it
We collect most information directly from you, for example when you:
- fill in a form or book a consultation on our website;
- submit a lead form through our Facebook or Instagram pages;
- call, email or message us, or meet with us; or
- send us documents so we can do work for you.
With your authority, we may also collect information from third parties, such as the ATO, ASIC, your bank or your previous accountant.
How we use it
We use your personal information to:
- respond to your enquiry and arrange, confirm and remind you about appointments;
- provide our services, including preparing and lodging tax returns, BAS and other documents;
- verify your identity where we are required to by law;
- meet our legal and professional obligations as a registered tax agent;
- manage our relationship with you, including billing; and
- send you follow-up emails and SMS about our services, if you have agreed to receive them.
Every marketing email and SMS we send includes a way to unsubscribe. You can also opt out at any time by contacting us.
Tax file numbers
As a registered tax agent, we collect tax file numbers (TFNs) only where taxation, personal assistance or superannuation law allows it, and only for those purposes. We handle TFNs in line with the Privacy (Tax File Number) Rule 2015.
It is not an offence to refuse to give us your TFN. However, we may not be able to lodge your tax return or other documents for you without it, and you may face other financial consequences, such as tax being withheld at a higher rate.
Only staff who need your TFN for their work can access it. We store TFNs securely and destroy or de-identify them when they are no longer needed for a lawful purpose.
Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only where needed to provide our services, or where the law requires or allows it. This may include:
- Government bodies: the ATO, ASIC, the Tax Practitioners Board and other agencies, when lodging on your behalf or when required by law;
- Service providers we use to run our business:
- our client management and booking system (GoHighLevel) and its email and SMS delivery providers;
- our website host (Hostinger);
- our accounting software [Xero / MYOB / QuickBooks];
- cloud storage providers;
- Our team, including support staff located overseas (see below);
- Professional advisers such as our lawyers, auditors or insurers; and
- anyone else you authorise us to deal with.
We require our service providers to keep your information secure and to use it only for the services they provide to us.
Overseas disclosure
Some of the systems and people that help us deliver our services are located outside Australia. As a result, your personal information may be stored in or accessed from:
- the United States: our client management, booking, email and SMS systems;
- Indonesia and Singapore: our website hosting and backups; and
- [country or countries]: our support staff who help prepare work under the supervision of our Australian accountants.
Before disclosing personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to make sure the recipient handles it in a way that is consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.
Storage and security
We store personal information electronically in secure systems. We use access controls, passwords and multi-factor authentication where available, and we limit access to staff who need it.
We keep records for as long as we need them for our services and as required by law. For tax records this is generally at least five years. After that, we securely destroy or de-identify them.
No system is completely secure. If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by law.
Cookies and analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors use it so we can improve it. We use [Google Analytics / the GoHighLevel tracking code / Meta Pixel — list only the tools actually installed].
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the site, such as the booking calendar, may not work properly without them.
Automated decisions
We use automated tools to send appointment confirmations, reminders and follow-up messages. We do not use computer programs to make decisions about you that could significantly affect your rights or interests. Decisions about your affairs are made by our accountants. [Confirm this stays true. If it changes, this section must list the types of information and decisions involved.]
Accessing or correcting your information
You can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it, by contacting us using the details below. We will respond within a reasonable time, usually within 30 days. If we refuse your request, we will tell you why in writing.
Complaints
If you think we have mishandled your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to fix it. Please give us details of your complaint. We will acknowledge it promptly and aim to respond within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
OAIC
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always on this page, with the date it was last updated.