Privacy Policy

Last Updated: [MONTH DAY, YEAR]

Nelson Capital Financial Services (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and recognizes the importance of protecting personal, financial, and tax-related information.

This Privacy Policy describes how information may be collected, used, disclosed, stored, and protected when you visit our website, contact us, schedule an appointment, use our client services, or otherwise interact with us.

Because tax preparation can involve highly sensitive information, we encourage clients to use only our designated secure methods when submitting confidential tax documents.

1. Information We May Collect

Depending on how you interact with us and which services you use, we may collect information in several categories.

Contact Information

This may include:

• Name
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Mailing address
• Other contact information you voluntarily provide
• Appointment Information

When scheduling an appointment, we may collect:

• Name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Appointment type
• Preferred date and time
• In-person, phone, or virtual appointment preference
• General reason for the appointment
• Other non-sensitive scheduling information

Do not enter Social Security numbers, banking information, complete tax-return information, or other highly sensitive information into ordinary scheduling notes unless you are specifically using an approved secure system designed for that information.

Tax Preparation Information

When necessary to provide tax preparation or related services, information may include:

• Social Security numbers or other taxpayer identification information
• Dates of birth
• Filing-status information
• Dependent information
• W-2 forms
• 1099 forms
• Income information
• Business financial information
• Expense information
• Rental-property information
• Investment-related tax information
• Retirement-income information
• Prior-year tax returns
• Tax payment information
• IRS or state tax-agency correspondence
• Other information necessary to provide requested tax services

Tax-related information should be submitted through the secure process designated by our office.

Identity Information

When required for tax preparation, identity verification, or other legitimate purposes, we may request applicable identification information or documents.

These may include government-issued identification and other information necessary for the services requested.

Business Information

Business clients may provide information including:

• Business name
• Business address
• Employer identification information
• Entity information
• Ownership information
• Revenue
• Expenses
• Payroll information
• Contractor information
• Banking or accounting records
• Asset information
• Financial statements
• Prior business tax returns
• Other applicable business records
• Website & Technical Information

Depending on our website configuration and service providers, certain information may be collected automatically when you visit the website.

This may include:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device type
• Operating system
• Pages visited
• Referring website
• Approximate geographic information
• Date and time of visits
• Website interactions
• Cookie or similar technology information

The exact information collected depends on the technologies and services actually used on our website.

2. How We Collect Information

Information may be collected when you:

• Contact our office
• Submit a website contact form
• Schedule an appointment
• Provide documents for tax preparation
• Use our secure client portal
• Communicate with us by telephone or email
• Meet with us in person or virtually
• Use our website
• Request information about our services
• Otherwise voluntarily provide information to us

Information may also be received from third parties when appropriate and permitted, including service providers or other sources involved in providing requested services.

3. How We Use Information

Information may be used for legitimate business and service purposes, including to:

• Respond to inquiries
• Schedule and manage appointments
• Provide tax preparation services
• Prepare applicable tax returns
• Review documents
• Communicate with clients
• Maintain client records
• Provide customer service
• Operate and improve our website
• Maintain security
• Detect or prevent fraud or misuse

Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, professional, or tax requirements Protect our rights and the rights of clients

Perform other purposes disclosed when information is collected or otherwise permitted by law We do not use tax information for purposes inconsistent with applicable legal requirements governing tax-return information.

4. Tax Return Information

Tax preparation requires special care because tax-return information can contain highly sensitive personal and financial information.

We handle tax-return information in accordance with applicable requirements governing the use and disclosure of taxpayer information.

We do not use or disclose tax-return information for unrelated purposes when authorization or consent is required by applicable law.

Certain uses or disclosures of tax-return information may require specific taxpayer consent.

Where such consent is legally required, it should be obtained through the appropriate consent process rather than assumed from general acceptance of this website Privacy Policy.

5. Do Not Submit Sensitive Information Through the General

Contact Form

Our ordinary website contact form is intended for general inquiries.

DO NOT use the general contact form to submit:

• Social Security numbers
• Taxpayer identification numbers
• W-2 forms
• Complete 1099 forms containing sensitive information
• Complete tax returns
• Bank-account information
• Driver's licenses
• Passports
• Identity documents
• Credit or debit card information
• Other highly sensitive personal, tax, or financial records

Use our designated Secure Client Portal or other approved secure method for confidential tax information.

6. Secure Client Portal

We may provide access to a secure client portal or other secure document-transfer system for exchanging confidential information.

The portal may be operated by a third-party service provider.

When you use a third-party portal or service, information may also be processed according to that provider's applicable privacy and security terms.

Before publishing this Privacy Policy, the identity and privacy policy of the actual client-portal provider should be reviewed and disclosed where appropriate.

[INSERT CLIENT PORTAL PROVIDER, IF APPLICABLE]

7. Email Communications

Ordinary email may not be an appropriate method for transmitting highly sensitive tax information.

Unless an approved secure-email process is specifically provided, do not send sensitive information such as:

• Social Security numbers
• Complete tax returns
• W-2 forms
• Banking information
• Identity documents

through ordinary unsecured email.

Use the secure process designated by our office.

8. Appointment Scheduling Providers

We may use a third-party scheduling provider to allow clients to book appointments online.

When you use an external scheduling service, the provider may collect information necessary to schedule and manage your appointment.

Scheduling Provider: [INSERT PROVIDER]

The provider's handling of information may also be governed by its own privacy policy.

Do not enter highly sensitive tax information into ordinary appointment notes.

9. Payment Processing

If online payments are offered, payment transactions may be processed by a third-party payment processor.

Payment Processor: [INSERT PROVIDER]

Depending on the system used, the payment processor may collect payment-card or financial information necessary to process the transaction.

We should not claim to directly store payment-card information unless that accurately describes the actual payment configuration.

The payment provider's collection and processing of information is also subject to its applicable terms and privacy practices.

10. Cookies & Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies for functionality, security, analytics, preferences, and other legitimate website purposes.

Cookies are small data files that may be stored on a user's device.

Depending on our website configuration, cookies may be used to:

• Maintain website functionality
• Remember preferences
• Understand website usage
• Improve performance
• Support security
• Measure traffic
• Support other disclosed website functions

The exact cookies used should reflect the actual website configuration.

11. Website Analytics

We may use analytics tools to understand how visitors interact with our website.

If analytics services are used, they may process information such as:

• Device information
• Browser information
• Pages visited
• General location information
• Website interactions
• Referring sources
• Other technical information
• Analytics Provider(s): [INSERT PROVIDER(S), IF APPLICABLE]

This section should be updated to identify the analytics technologies actually installed on the website.

12. Advertising & Tracking Technologies

If we use online advertising, remarketing, conversion tracking, advertising pixels, or similar technologies, information about website activity may potentially be processed by applicable advertising providers.

Advertising/Tracking Provider(s): [INSERT PROVIDERS, IF APPLICABLE]

Tax-related websites should be particularly careful about advertising technologies because website interactions can potentially reveal sensitive inferences about visitors.

We should configure advertising and analytics technologies in a manner consistent with applicable privacy obligations and avoid improperly disclosing protected tax-return information.

13. How We May Share Information

We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to provide requested services or operate our business, including to appropriate:

• Tax preparation software providers
• Secure client-portal providers
• Cloud or data-storage providers
• Scheduling providers
• Payment processors
• IT and cybersecurity providers
• Professional advisers
• Other service providers supporting legitimate business operations

Information may also be disclosed when required or permitted by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.

Tax-return information is subject to additional restrictions, and nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to authorize a use or disclosure that requires separate consent or is otherwise prohibited.

14. We Do Not Sell Tax Return Information

We do not sell tax-return information.

We do not authorize third parties to use protected tax-return information for their independent marketing purposes when doing so would violate applicable law or require authorization that has not been obtained.

15. Service Providers

Third-party providers may process information on our behalf to support our operations.

We seek to use providers appropriate for the services involved, particularly when confidential information is processed.

However, the specific safeguards, contractual arrangements, and responsibilities depend on the provider and service being used.

16. Information Security

We recognize the sensitivity of tax and financial information.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the information and services involved.

These may include, where applicable:

• Access controls
• Authentication
• Secure document-transfer methods
• Security software
• Device protections
• Data-management procedures
• Employee or personnel access limitations
• Secure disposal procedures
• Other safeguards

No website, electronic communication, storage system, or method of transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

For that reason, clients should follow the secure document-submission instructions provided by our office.

17. Data Retention

We retain information for periods appropriate to:

• Provide requested services
• Maintain business and tax records
• Meet legal or regulatory requirements
• Resolve disputes
• Maintain security
• Enforce agreements
• Fulfill other legitimate business purposes

Retention periods may differ depending on the type of information and applicable requirements.

We should not promise a specific destruction period unless that period accurately reflects our actual written retention policy and applicable requirements.

18. Data Disposal

When records are no longer required to be retained, we may use reasonable methods appropriate to the sensitivity and format of the information to dispose of records securely, subject to applicable legal and business requirements.

19. Children's Privacy

Our tax preparation services and website are not directed toward children for independent use.

Information concerning children or dependents may nevertheless be provided by a parent, guardian, or taxpayer when legitimately necessary for tax preparation.

Such information should be handled as confidential tax and personal information.

20. Privacy Rights

Depending on where you reside and which laws apply, you may have certain rights concerning your personal information.

These rights may include, where applicable, the ability to request:

• Access to certain personal information
• Correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion of certain information
• Information about certain processing practices
• Other rights provided by applicable law

These rights may be subject to exceptions, including legal, tax, professional, record-retention, fraud-prevention, or other requirements.

To submit a privacy-related request, contact us using the information below.

21. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including government websites, scheduling services, payment services, mapping services, or client portals.

We do not control the privacy practices of independent third-party websites.

Review the applicable privacy policy before providing information directly to a third party.

22. IRS & Government Websites

We may link to official government resources for informational purposes, including resources for checking tax-refund status or obtaining tax information.

Once you leave our website, the government website's own privacy and security policies apply.

23. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our services, technology, legal requirements, or privacy practices change.

When material changes are made, the Last Updated date at the top of this page should be revised.

Visitors and clients are encouraged to review this policy periodically.