Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Walter Myke Accountancy is the data controller responsible for your personal data. Our registered address is Willow Way, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 3HU. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as required under UK data protection law. If you have any questions about this policy or our data practices, please contact us at the address above or via our website contact form.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Identity data: name, title, date of birth, National Insurance number, Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
• Contact data: postal address, email address, telephone number
• Financial data: bank account details, payroll information, income and expenditure records, tax returns and supporting documents
• Business data: company registration details, VAT registration number, business accounts and records
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and other usage data collected via cookies when you visit our website
• Communications data: records of correspondence, enquiries, and instructions you send to us

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data through the following means:

• Directly from you when you complete our contact or enquiry form, engage our services, or correspond with us by post, phone, or email
• From third parties such as HMRC, Companies House, payroll providers, or cloud accounting platforms (QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage) where you have authorised us to act on your behalf
• Automatically via cookies and similar technologies when you browse our website

4. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide accountancy, bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and advisory services to you
• To fulfil our legal and regulatory obligations, including filing tax returns with HMRC, maintaining statutory records, and complying with anti-money laundering (AML) requirements
• To communicate with you about your account, services, and any changes that may affect you
• To respond to enquiries submitted via our website
• To improve our website and services through analysis of usage data
• To send you relevant updates or newsletters where you have consented to receive them

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR to process your personal data:

• Contract: processing is necessary to perform the services you have engaged us to provide
• Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with our obligations under tax law, AML regulations, and other applicable legislation
• Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services and maintaining client relationships, where these are not overridden by your rights
• Consent: where you have given explicit consent, for example to receive marketing communications

6. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data with the following parties where necessary:

• HMRC and other government bodies as required by law
• Companies House for statutory filing obligations
• Cloud accounting software providers (QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage) used to deliver your services
• Payroll bureaus or pension providers where relevant to your engagement
• Our professional indemnity insurers or legal advisers where required
• IT service providers and hosting companies who process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, regulatory, accounting, or reporting requirements. In line with HMRC guidance and professional standards, client records are typically retained for a minimum of six years following the end of the relevant tax year or the termination of our engagement, whichever is later. After this period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing: to request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Rights related to automated decision-making: we do not carry out solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects

9. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users and to improve your browsing experience. Cookies may include strictly necessary cookies (required for the site to function), analytical cookies (to understand how visitors use the site), and preference cookies (to remember your settings). You can control cookies through your browser settings. By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with this policy.

10. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. Access to client data is restricted to authorised personnel only, and all staff are trained in data protection obligations. Where we use third-party processors, we ensure they provide sufficient guarantees regarding data security.

11. International Transfers

We do not routinely transfer your personal data outside the United Kingdom. Where any transfer is necessary, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The current version will always be available on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. How to Contact Us or Make a Complaint

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at: Walter Myke Accountancy, Willow Way, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 3HU, or via our website contact form. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.