1. Who this policy covers
This policy applies to Zero Variance Bookkeeping ("we", "us", "our"), a bookkeeping and BAS agent practice in Adelaide, South Australia. Zero Variance Bookkeeping is a business name of K Shah Pty Ltd as trustee for the U S Shah Family Trust, ABN 95 284 061 792.
It covers personal information we collect through our website, and personal information we collect while providing bookkeeping, payroll, BAS/IAS and related accounting services to our clients and their staff.
As a Registered BAS Agent, we're also bound by the confidentiality requirements of the Code of Professional Conduct under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009, in addition to our obligations under this policy.
2. What we collect
Depending on the services you engage us for, we may collect:
- Your name, business name, ABN, address, phone number and email address
- Financial and transactional records, such as invoices, receipts, bank statements and general ledger entries
- Payroll information, including employee names, dates of birth, bank details, superannuation fund details and tax file numbers
- Information needed to prepare and lodge BAS and IAS, including GST and PAYG figures
- Correspondence between us, including phone calls, emails and messages
- Basic website usage information (see section 9)
We only collect sensitive information (such as health information) where it's directly relevant to a service you've asked us to provide, for example workers' compensation or leave-related payroll processing, and only with your consent unless the law requires otherwise.
3. How we collect it
Most personal information is collected directly from you or your business: by phone, by email, or through the accounting or payroll software you use and give us access to. Where relevant, we may also collect information from your other advisers (such as your accountant), the ATO, or your employees, where you've authorised this or it's needed to provide the service.
4. Why we collect it
We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:
- Provide bookkeeping, payroll, BAS/IAS lodgement, financial reporting and related services
- Meet our obligations to the ATO and other government agencies on your behalf
- Meet our own legal, regulatory and professional obligations, including those under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 and record-keeping laws
- Communicate with you about your engagement with us
- Improve our services and our website
We don't use your information for direct marketing without your consent, and we don't sell personal information to anyone.
5. Tax file numbers
Where payroll or related services require it, we may collect and hold tax file numbers (TFNs) on behalf of your business. TFNs have additional protection under the Privacy (Tax File Number) Rule 2015, separate from the Australian Privacy Principles. We only use TFN information for the lawful purposes it was collected for, store it securely, and never use it to identify individuals for any unrelated purpose.
6. Who we share it with
We may disclose personal information to:
- The Australian Taxation Office and other government agencies, such as RevenueSA and ReturnToWorkSA, where needed to lodge BAS/IAS, payroll tax, WorkCover or superannuation on your behalf
- The cloud accounting and payroll software providers we use to deliver our services, including their superannuation clearing house services
- Your other professional advisers, such as your accountant, where you've asked us to work with them
- Anyone else where required or authorised by law
We don't disclose personal information to anyone else without your consent.
7. Overseas disclosure
We don't otherwise disclose personal information to overseas recipients. Some of the accounting, payroll and cloud platforms we use, such as Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online, may store or process data on servers outside Australia, as set out in those providers' own privacy policies. If you'd like to know which platforms apply to your engagement, contact us and we'll confirm.
8. How we keep it secure
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes using reputable, access-controlled cloud accounting software, limiting access to what's needed to provide our services, and keeping records only for as long as tax and other record-keeping laws require (generally at least five years) before securely destroying or de-identifying them.
If we become aware of a data breach involving personal information that's likely to result in serious harm, we'll assess it and, where required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the people affected.
9. Our website
Our website doesn't include a contact or enquiry form. You can reach us by phone or email, both listed below. If that changes, we'll update this policy.
Our website is hosted by Cloudflare, which may automatically collect basic technical information (such as IP address, browser type and pages visited) for security and performance. We don't use website analytics or advertising cookies. If we do in future, we'll update this policy and, where required, ask for your consent.
Our website may link to other websites. We aren't responsible for their privacy practices, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.
10. Access and correction
You can ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it if it's inaccurate, out of date or incomplete. Contact us using the details below. We'll respond within a reasonable time, and we won't charge a fee unless a request needs an unusually large amount of work, in which case we'll discuss it with you first.
11. Complaints
If you think we've handled your personal information in a way that breaches the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact us first using the details below so we can look into it. We'll acknowledge your complaint and aim to resolve it within a reasonable time.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:
- Website: oaic.gov.au
- Phone: 1300 363 992
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. The current version is always on this page, with the date it was last updated shown at the top.
13. Contact us
For any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal information:
- Phone: (08) 8472 9593
- Email: zerovariancebookkeeping@gmail.com