Privacy Policy for Our Swiss Accounting Services

Your privacy is paramount to us, especially when entrusting us with your sensitive financial information. This Privacy Policy explains how our Swiss accounting firm collects, uses, protects, and discloses your personal data when you use our website and services. We are committed to operating in full compliance with Swiss data protection laws, including the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to the extent applicable.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal data that is necessary for providing our accounting, tax preparation, and payroll services, and for communicating with you. This information helps us understand your needs and deliver tailored, compliant advice.

• Contact Information: This includes your name, company name, postal address, email address, and telephone number, typically gathered when you fill out our contact form or engage our services.
• Financial and Business Information: For the provision of our services (bookkeeping, tax preparation, payroll), we collect detailed financial records, tax identification numbers, bank account details, transaction data, employee data, and other sensitive business information.
• Website Usage Data: When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, and details about your browsing activity. This helps us improve our site's functionality and user experience.
• Communications: Records of our correspondence, including emails and other interactions you have with us.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for specific and legitimate purposes in accordance with Swiss law and GDPR principles:

• Service Provision: To deliver our core accounting services, including bookkeeping, preparing tax returns, processing payroll, and providing financial consulting.
• Communication: To respond to your inquiries, provide updates on your case, send service-related notifications, and manage our client relationship.
• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: To comply with all applicable Swiss laws, regulations, and professional standards, including anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.
• Website Improvement: To analyze website usage patterns, improve functionality, and enhance user experience.
• Security: To protect our services and your data from fraud and unauthorized access.

3. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data

Our legal bases for collecting and using your personal data include:

• Performance of a Contract: Processing is necessary for the performance of our accounting services contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract.
• Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject (e.g., tax laws, AML regulations).
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, where these interests are not overridden by your data protection rights (e.g., maintaining the security of our services, improving our website).
• Consent: Where required by law, we obtain your explicit consent for specific processing activities.

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We regard all client information as confidential. Your personal data will not be sold, rented, or leased to third parties. We may share your information only in limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may engage trusted third-party service providers to assist us in operating our business and providing services (e.g., IT support, cloud hosting, legal advisors). These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and only use it for the purposes for which we disclose it to them.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, we may disclose your personal data to authorities or other third parties to comply with legal obligations.
• Professional Advisors: We may share information with our professional advisors (e.g., auditors, external legal counsel) where necessary for the provision of advice or to protect our interests.

5. International Data Transfers (Third Countries)

As a Swiss firm, we primarily process data within Switzerland. In cases where personal data needs to be transferred to countries outside of Switzerland or the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to guarantee a level of data protection equivalent to that of Switzerland and the GDPR. These safeguards may include standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission or the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), or binding corporate rules, or reliance on adequacy decisions.

6. Data Security

We are committed to securing your information. We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption, access controls, secure servers, and regular security audits, all consistent with best practices for handling sensitive financial information in Switzerland. Our team members are trained on data protection and confidentiality protocols.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purpose of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The specific retention periods depend on the type of data and the legal obligations in Switzerland, such as those related to financial records (typically 10 years). Once retention periods expire, personal data is securely deleted or anonymized.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

Under Swiss data protection law and GDPR (where applicable), you have certain rights concerning your personal data:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that incomplete or inaccurate data be corrected.
• Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten): In certain circumstances, you can request the deletion of your personal data.
• Right to Restriction of Processing: You can request that we limit the processing of your data under certain conditions.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your personal data, particularly if it is based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience, analyze site usage, and improve our services. Cookies are small text files placed on your device. You can control cookies through your browser settings, and you have the option to accept or decline cookies. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on this page with a new revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data processing practices, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us at:

[Company Name]

[Street Address]

[Postal Code] [City], Switzerland

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) in Switzerland if you believe your data protection rights have been violated.