Privacy & Cookie Policy

1. Information About Us

This privacy and cookie policy sets out how Go Accounting and Business Ltd (trading as GAAB) uses and protects any information that you provide when you use this website or engage our professional services.

• Registered office: 3 Crompton Street, Bury, Greater Manchester, BL9 0AD
• Email: info@gaab.co.uk
• Phone: 0161 820 8228

We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified, it will only be used in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable data protection legislation including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following personal data:

Information you provide to us

• Name, address, email address, telephone number and other contact details
• Financial information including bank details, income and expenditure details, tax reference numbers and National Insurance numbers
• Business information including company registration details, VAT numbers and trading information
• Identity verification documents required under anti-money laundering regulations
• Any other information you provide when completing forms on our website or corresponding with us

Information we collect automatically

• Technical information including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system and platform
• Information about your visit including the pages you viewed, how long you spent on each page, and how you navigated to and from our website

Information from third parties

• We may obtain information about you from HMRC, Companies House or other relevant authorities where necessary to provide our services
• We only obtain third-party personal data when given direct instructions to do so by you

3. How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data on one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Contractual necessity: to perform our obligations under our engagement letter with you, including providing accounting, tax, payroll, bookkeeping and advisory services
• Legal obligation: to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including anti-money laundering legislation, HMRC requirements and professional body regulations
• Legitimate interests: to manage our business, improve our services, and maintain our relationship with you, where those interests are not overridden by your own privacy rights
• Consent: where you have given us specific consent to process your data for a particular purpose (e.g. marketing communications). You can withdraw consent at any time

Specifically, we use your information to:

• Provide accounting and business advisory services
• Prepare and submit tax returns, VAT returns, payroll and other statutory filings
• Communicate with you about your affairs
• Comply with our obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
• Send you information about our services where you have opted in to receive marketing
• Improve and personalise your experience on our website

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We will never sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your data with:

• HMRC and other regulatory bodies where required by law or for the performance of our services
• Companies House for filing statutory returns on your behalf
• Professional advisors and subcontractors who assist us in providing services to you, bound by confidentiality obligations
• Cloud software providers (e.g. Xero, accounting and payroll software) that we use to deliver services securely
• Payment processors for credit/debit card validation when processing payments
• Law enforcement or regulatory authorities where we are legally obliged to do so

5. Keeping Your Data Secure

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. We have put in place appropriate physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect, including:

• Industry-standard encryption for data transmitted via our website (TLS/SSL)
• Secure, access-controlled storage for physical and digital records
• Regular review and updating of our security practices
• Staff training on data protection and confidentiality obligations

We collect only the minimum information necessary for the purposes stated in this policy. We keep your records accurate and up to date and will update them when you inform us of changes.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, regulatory or reporting requirements. Specific retention periods include:

• Client engagement records: for a minimum of seven years following the end of our engagement
• Tax records: in accordance with HMRC requirements (typically five years and 10 months for individuals; six years for companies)
• Anti-money laundering records: five years from the end of the business relationship
• Marketing consent records: until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe

After the applicable retention period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection legislation, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: you can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: you can request that we delete your personal data, subject to our legal and regulatory obligations to retain certain records
• Right to restrict processing: you can request that we limit the way we use your data
• Right to object: you can object to our processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
• Right to data portability: you can request that we transfer your data to another organisation in a commonly used electronic format

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@gaab.co.uk. We will respond to your request within one month.

8. Data Breach Reporting

In the event of a personal data breach, we will report the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, where the breach is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals.

If the breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will also notify you directly without undue delay.

9. Marketing

We may send you information about our services, industry updates and relevant tax deadlines where you have opted in to receive such communications. You have the right to opt out of marketing at any time by:

• Emailing us at info@gaab.co.uk
• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email
• Calling us on 0161 820 8228

10. Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit our website. They help us understand how you use our site and improve your experience.

Cookies we use

Managing cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

For more information about cookies and how to manage them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

11. Children

Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us at info@gaab.co.uk and we will take steps to delete it.

12. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to other websites. Once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over those other websites. We are not responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites, and they are not governed by this privacy policy.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy and cookie policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your data.

14. Contacting the Supervisory Authority

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data or have concerns about our data protection practices, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
• Phone: 0303 123 1113