Overview

James McGown Bookkeeping respects the privacy of clients, prospective clients, and other people who communicate with the business. This policy explains the types of information we may collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, when it may be shared, and the choices available to you.

Information we may collect

Depending on how you contact or engage us, we may collect:

— Contact information such as your name, business name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address when needed.

— Business information you provide to describe your bookkeeping needs, QuickBooks Online company, accounting periods, accounts, transaction volume, and service requirements.

— Bookkeeping and financial records that you choose to provide for an authorized engagement, such as bank or credit-card statements, accounting reports, transaction support, and related business records.

— Communications and engagement records, including messages, project requirements, contracts, service selections, invoices, and records of work performed.

— Technical or platform information supplied by the services you use to communicate with or engage us, such as Upwork, Google Workspace, QuickBooks Online, or an approved form or file-transfer service.

We do not ask clients to send passwords, multi-factor authentication codes, recovery codes, or online-banking credentials. QuickBooks Online access must be provided through provider-supported delegated accountant access rather than by sharing a password.

How we use information

We use information only as reasonably necessary to:

— Respond to inquiries and determine whether a requested service is within scope.

— Provide QuickBooks Cleanup Assessments, QuickBooks Cleanup & Catch-Up, or Monthly QuickBooks Bookkeeping services.

— Communicate about an engagement, request records, identify missing information, document unresolved items, and deliver agreed work.

— Maintain business, accounting, security, quality-control, and compliance records.

— Protect our accounts, systems, clients, and business from fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, or security threats.

— Comply with applicable law, legal process, platform requirements, and professional obligations.

Data minimization and sensitive information

We seek to collect only information reasonably needed for the requested service. Please do not provide Social Security numbers, tax-identification numbers, passwords, multi-factor authentication codes, recovery information, personal bank-login credentials, or other highly sensitive information unless it is specifically necessary for an authorized service and an approved secure method has been provided.

How information is shared

We do not sell personal information. We do not rent personal information to third parties. We may disclose information only as reasonably necessary to operate the business or provide an authorized service, including to service providers that support communications, file storage or transfer, bookkeeping software, payment processing, or marketplace engagements. Examples may include Upwork, Google Workspace, Intuit QuickBooks Online, and other providers specifically used for an engagement.

We may also disclose information when required by law, legal process, or a valid governmental request, or when reasonably necessary to protect rights, property, security, or safety.

Upwork engagements

For work purchased through Upwork, project requirements, communications, files, contracts, and payments should remain within Upwork-approved channels when required by Upwork. We do not require clients to send QuickBooks passwords or banking credentials through Upwork. QuickBooks Online access should use delegated accountant access.

Direct-client engagements

For direct engagements outside Upwork, sensitive records will be accepted only through a secure transfer method that James McGown Bookkeeping has approved for live use. Ordinary email may be used for routine communication and secure links, but clients should not send sensitive financial records or credentials as ordinary email attachments unless specifically instructed that an approved secure method is in use.

Artificial intelligence and automated tools

James McGown Bookkeeping may use software tools to support internal administrative work. Real prospect or client confidential information is not submitted to generative artificial-intelligence tools unless the business has separately established an approved process, made any required disclosure, and obtained any required authorization. Bookkeeping conclusions and client-facing work remain subject to human review.

Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and operational safeguards appropriate to a small remote bookkeeping business. These include access controls, multi-factor authentication where supported, limited collection of sensitive information, provider-supported delegated access, secure transfer controls, and restricted access to business records. No transmission or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Retention and deletion

We retain information only for as long as reasonably needed for the engagement, business records, legal or contractual obligations, security, dispute resolution, and legitimate operational needs. Records that are no longer needed are deleted or securely disposed of according to the business’s retention practices and the capabilities of the systems in which the records are stored.

Your choices and requests

You may ask us to correct inaccurate contact information, explain the information we maintain about you, or delete information that is no longer required for an engagement or legal/business recordkeeping purpose. Some information may need to be retained to comply with legal, contractual, accounting, security, or dispute-resolution obligations.

If applicable privacy law gives you additional rights, James McGown Bookkeeping will honor those rights as required by law.

Online tracking and Do Not Track

James McGown Bookkeeping does not use personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising and does not sell personal information. Because there is not a universally accepted technical standard for browser Do Not Track signals, our online services may not respond to those signals. If our website or online-service tracking practices materially change, this policy will be updated accordingly.

Third-party services and links

Third-party platforms and services used in connection with our business operate under their own privacy and security terms. This policy does not replace the privacy policies of Upwork, Google, Intuit QuickBooks Online, Cognito Forms, payment processors, or other third-party services that you choose to use.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our services, technology, legal requirements, or information practices change. The current version will be made available through the applicable business website, intake process, engagement materials, or upon request.

Contact

Questions or privacy requests may be sent to:

James McGown Bookkeeping
james.mcgown.bookkeeping@gmail.com