Privacy policy

Thank you for choosing Coastal Tax Specialist. At Coastal Tax Specialist, we understand the importance of protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our tax preparation services. Our services utilize Drake Software as our tax preparation platform, which incorporates robust security measures to protect your data. Please read this privacy notice carefully, as it will help you understand what we do with the information that we collect.

What information do we collect?

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including but not limited to:
- Full name and contact information (email address, phone number, mailing address) - Social Security Number and other government-issued identification numbers - Date of birth - Financial information (income details, investments, expenses, banking information) - Employment information - Dependents' information - Tax documents (W-2s, 1099s, etc.)

How do we use your information?

We use your personal information for the following purposes: - To prepare and file your tax returns - To communicate with you about your tax preparation services - To comply with legal and regulatory requirements - To improve our services and customer experience - To detect and prevent fraud or other illegal activities - To send you relevant notifications and updates

Data Storage and Security

We use Drake Software as our tax preparation platform, which implements industry-standard security measures: - All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest using advanced encryption protocols - Secure data centers with physical access controls - Redundant data backup systems - Regular security audits and updates - Compliance with IRS security requirements

Beyond our software platform, we implement the following security practices: - Access to your information is restricted to authorized personnel only - Regular staff training on data protection and privacy - Secure digital data deletion with specialized software to prevent recovery

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law or regulations. For tax preparation purposes, we typically retain your information for 3 years following the applicable tax year, in accordance with IRS requirements.

Data Sharing Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with government agencies as required for tax filing purposes.

Third-Party Service Providers

Our tax preparation services rely on Drake Software and Drake Portal. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information solely for the purposes of providing services to us and maintaining appropriate security measures. Please read more about Drakes' privacy policy at https://www.drakesoftware.com/sharedassets/policy/drakesoftwareprivacypolicy.pdf 

California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including: - The right to know what personal information we collect - The right to request deletion of personal information - The right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (although we do not sell personal information) - The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

Children's Information in Tax Preparation

In the course of providing tax preparation services, we may collect and process personal information about children (such as names, Social Security Numbers, and dates of birth) that is provided to us by their parents or legal guardians. This information is: - Collected solely for the legitimate purpose of preparing tax returns - Processed with the same high level of security and confidentiality as all other client information - Only used for the specific purpose for which it was provided - Only retained for the period necessary to fulfill our tax preparation and retention obligations - Never used for marketing purposes or shared with third parties except as required for tax filing purposes We recognize the sensitive nature of children's personal information and apply additional safeguards to protect this data. Parents or legal guardians have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of their children's personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.

Access and Control

You have the right to: - Access the personal information we hold about you - Correct inaccurate information - Request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements) - Obtain a copy of your information in a structured, machine-readable format - Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

Changes to this 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 Privacy Policy on our website and changing the "Last Update" date at the top of this policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: info@coastaltaxspecialist.com