Privacy Policy

1. Personal information we collect

We may collect personal information from you when you:

• contact us through our website
• phone, email or visit us
• become a client of Altitude Chartered Accountants Limited
• provide information needed for accounting, tax, payroll, company, trust or advisory services
• sign up for updates, resources or communications
• interact with us online

The types of personal information we may collect include:

• your name and contact details
• business, company, trust or entity information
• IRD numbers and tax related information
• financial records and accounting information
• payroll and employment related information
• bank account details where required for our services
• identification information where legally required
• correspondence and instructions you provide to us
• website usage information, such as pages visited, device type and general analytics data

We only collect personal information where it is reasonably necessary for our business, our professional services, or our legal and compliance obligations.

2. How we collect personal information

Where possible, we collect personal information directly from you.

We may also collect information from:

• your authorised representatives
• Inland Revenue
• Companies Office
• banks, payroll providers, software providers or other third parties you authorise
• cloud accounting platforms and business systems
• publicly available sources
• other professional advisers, where relevant to the services we provide

If you provide us with personal information about another person, you confirm that you are authorised to do so and that the information is accurate.

3. How we use your personal information

We use personal information to:

• provide accounting, tax, payroll, bookkeeping, company, trust and business advisory services
• prepare financial statements, tax returns, GST returns and other compliance documents
• communicate with you about your affairs, your business, or our services
• manage client relationships and internal administration
• verify identity where required
• meet legal, tax, regulatory and professional obligations
• improve our website, services and client experience
• send relevant updates or information, where appropriate
• protect our business, our clients and our systems

We will not use your personal information for purposes unrelated to our services unless we have a lawful reason to do so.

4. Sharing your personal information

We may share personal information where necessary with:

• Inland Revenue
• Companies Office
• cloud accounting, payroll, document management or practice management providers
• banks, lenders or other financial institutions, where authorised
• legal, financial or professional advisers
• IT, website, hosting, security and software service providers
• regulators or government agencies where required by law
• other parties where you have authorised us to share the information

We only share personal information where it is necessary, authorised, or required by law.

5. Cloud software and overseas providers

As part of providing modern accounting and business support services, we may use secure cloud based systems and software providers. These may include accounting, payroll, document storage, communication, client management, website hosting and analytics tools.

Some of these providers may store or process information outside New Zealand. Where we use third party providers, we take reasonable steps to ensure they have appropriate privacy and security protections in place.

6. Website analytics and cookies

Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to help us understand how visitors use the site and to improve the user experience.

Cookies are small files stored on your device. They may collect information such as your browser type, pages visited, time spent on the website and general location information.

You can disable cookies through your browser settings, although some website features may not work as intended.

7. Email and online communications

If you contact us by email or through an online form, we may retain your message and contact details so we can respond to your enquiry and keep appropriate business records.

Email and online communications are not always completely secure. Please avoid sending highly sensitive information through general website forms unless requested by us.

8. Protecting your personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

These steps may include:

• secure cloud based systems
• password protection and access controls
• staff confidentiality obligations
• secure storage of client records
• regular review of systems and processes
• using reputable technology and software providers

While we take care to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure.

9. Retaining personal information

We keep personal information for as long as reasonably required for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, tax, accounting, professional and record keeping obligations.

When information is no longer required, we may securely delete, destroy or anonymise it.

10. Accessing and correcting your information

You have the right to ask us for access to the personal information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct it if you believe it is inaccurate.

The Privacy Act 2020 includes rules about how organisations must respond when someone asks what information is held about them or asks for it to be corrected.

To request access to, or correction of, your personal information, please contact us using the details below.

11. Privacy breaches

If a privacy breach occurs, we will assess the situation and take appropriate steps to contain and manage the breach.

Where a breach is notifiable under the Privacy Act 2020, we will notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and any affected individuals as required.

12. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to third party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content or security of those websites.

We recommend you review the privacy policies of any third party websites you visit.

13. Updates to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations or business practices.

The latest version will be published on our website.

14. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or would like to access or correct personal information we hold about you, please contact:

Altitude Chartered Accountants Limited
Taupō Office:
20/19 Tamamutu Street
Taupō 3330
Phone: 07 378 7150

Taihape Office:
53 Hautapu Street
Taihape 4720
Phone: 06 388 0860

Email: accountants@altitudeonline.co.nz