Smart Financial Tax Services Digital Privacy
Notice: Protecting your personal information is important to us. The following guidelines set forth our general privacy practices and principles that apply to information we collect through the following products and services, which are owned or operated by Smart Financial Tax Services ., or companies related by common ownership or control (collectively, “we,” “us,” or “our”): • our online and software tax preparation products and services; • our websites and the products and services offered through those websites
We utilize administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. We protect information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. Please see “How do we secure your information?” for more information. If you have any questions about the security of our services, you can contact us by clicking here. This privacy notice also details choices available to you regarding the use of, your access to, and how to update and correct your personal information.
Special Note to Parents: Because of the nature of the services we provide, we do not market our services to children under the age of 13, nor do we knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13.
What information do we collect? In brief: As part of providing products and services to you, we may collect information, including personal information, about you, your spouse, your dependents, or your business when you use our services. As part of providing products and services to you, we may collect information, including personal information, about you, your spouse, your dependents, or your business when you use our services. Personal information is data that can be used to identify a person individually. The information we may collect includes, but is not limited to: • Contact Information (e.g., name, phone number, address, and email address); • Social Security Number and other government identification numbers (e.g., EIN, Driver’s License Number, and ITIN); • Date of Birth; • Financial Information (e.g., income, revenue, assets, credits, deductions, expenses, and bank account information); • Payment Data (e.g., checking, debit and credit card account numbers, balances and payment history); • Health Information (e.g., health insurance status and financial information related to payment for healthcare services); • Geo-Location Information; • Website, Mobile Application, and Email Usage Data (e.g., interactions with a website, application or advertisement); • Device Information (e.g., internet protocol (IP) address, device type, unique identifier, app version, operating system, network data, and phone state); • Login Information; • Demographic Information; • Professional or employment-related information; and • Education information. 3 Where do we get this information? In brief: You provide most of the information we collect. We also receive information through certain digital technologies when you interact with us. Finally, other companies and government entities may share information with us. You provide most of the information we collect. We also receive information through certain digital technologies when you interact with us. Finally, other companies and government entities may share information with us. We collect information directly from you. To deliver the products and services you request, customize your experience, and better serve you, we collect information you voluntarily provide as part of using or requesting our products and services. This information includes information you provide as part of preparing your tax return, electronically filing your tax return, setting up an online account, authenticating your identity, applying for or purchasing a product or service, or applying for employment. It also includes information from documents you choose to upload to your MyBlockSM Account. If you choose not to provide certain information we request, we may be unable to serve you as our products, services, tools, or calculators may rely upon this information. Our websites may offer publicly accessible blogs or community forums. You should be aware that any information you provide in these areas may be read, collected, and used by others who access them. To request removal of your personal information (e.g., name and city) from our blog or community forum, you can contact us by clicking here. In some cases, we may not be able to remove your personal information, in which case we will let you know if we are unable to do so and why. We collect information when you use our services. We collect certain information and usage data whenever you interact with us, whether online, through a mobile application, or through an email. This data may include which websites you visit, what you click on, and when you performed those actions. These activities may be performed by us or a service provider acting on our behalf. We utilize certain web and wireless technologies to collect this information. These technologies include cookies and web beacons. Please see “What types of web and wireless 4 technologies (including cookies) do we use?” for an indepth discussion of these technologies and how to opt-out. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or state taxing authorities may require we collect certain personal and system information in connection with preparing or electronically filing your tax return. This may include your name, social security number, IP addresses, and unique device identifiers. We collect information from other companies and government entities. In accordance with their privacy notices, our business partners, Smart Financial Tax Services franchisees, and unrelated third parties (including the IRS and credit reporting agencies) may share certain information about you with us. We also collect information when you request services or information from us or companies with whom we have a business relationship, enter contests or sweepstakes, or complete surveys or polls. To improve the security of our services, to protect your identity, and to protect your information, we may verify your personal information by matching the information you provide against other publicly available information that we obtain from identification verification companies.
How do we use your information?
In brief: We use your information to provide you the products and services you request. We may also use your information, as permitted by law, including: to service and report on your account; offer you relevant information, products, or services; and enhance We use your information to provide you the products and services you request. We may also use your information, as permitted by law, including: to service and report on your account; offer you relevant information, products, or services; and enhance our products and services. These activities may be performed by us or a service provider acting on our behalf. • Offer you products and services. We may use your information to contact you about products and services offered by us or another Smart Financial Tax Services company. Smart Financial Tax Services companies are those related to us by common ownership or control. This may include delivery of newsletters or publications. We 5 our products and services. These activities may be performed by us or a service provider acting on our behalf. may also use aggregated information to offer our products and services. • Geo-Location Uses. We may use your location to provide you a list of nearby Smart Financial Tax Services offices, assess the level of interest in our services in a particular area, and enhance the services we are providing you and other clients. You may at any time revoke our collection of this information by turning this off at the device level and not using our office locator. • Mobile Devices. Subject to your control, our mobile services may request permission to dial a phone number, access your camera or photo library, access the internet, access your calendar, send you push notifications, wake/lock your mobile device, or authorize in-app purchases. • MyBlockSM Account. We may use your information to set up an online account or authenticate your identity when you request certain services from us. We may use your email address as your online username. When you add documents to your MyBlock account, Smart Financial Tax Services might access them to assist you with tax preparation or enhance its services. We may retain your MyBlock documents as allowed or required by law. • Security Enhancements. We may use your information to improve the security of our services, protect your identity, and protect your information. • Unique Identifiers. We may assign you a unique identifier when you use our services. This unique identifier allows us to match information collected through our other various products and services. Generally, we use this information to help us better understand your use of our products and services and to customize your experience and better serve you. • Calculators and Tools. When you use our calculators and other tools, we may collect nonidentifiable data, such as the number of people that use a certain tool. We may also set cookies or clear 6 gifs based upon your use, so you do not have to reenter your information in a later visit and to help us customize offers and tools to your particular interests. For our calculators and other tools that require registration or ask for your contact information, we may contact you directly with relevant services and offers. • Send a Friend Program. If you choose to use one of our referral services, we may ask for your friend’s name and contact information, including email address. Depending on the particular referral service, we may contact your friend inviting him or her to visit our website, come in for tax preparation, sign up for bookkeeping services, or take our income tax training course. We do not store or use this information except as part of our referral programs. You can visit our Send a Friend website to view full program rules. Your friend may contact us at clicking here to request that we remove your friend’s information from our systems. If you are a California resident, please see the California Notice of Financial Incentive of this privacy notice. • Automated Decision Making. We do not use automated decision making with respect to your information.
How do we secure your information?
In brief: The security of your personal information is important to us. We utilize administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. If you have any questions about the security of our services, you can contact us by clicking here. The security of your personal information is important to us. We utilize administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. If you have any questions about the security of our services, you can contact us by clicking here. We protect information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. Nevertheless, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards that comply with applicable law and federal standards and that are designed to restrict access to your information. These safeguards include programs and specifications for physical security and records retention and disposal; computer and communication security measures reflected in system design, password protection, and data management practices; and other measures to restrict access to the data we hold in physical and electronic forms. If we collect sensitive information (such as your social security number), we will encrypt the transmission of that information using secure socket layer technology (SSL). If we share your information with our service providers, we require all service providers to have written contracts with us that require them to safeguard your information and prohibit them from selling, retaining, using or disclosing your information for any purpose other than for the specific purpose of performing the contract. We may notify you by email, mail, or telephone in the event of a data security incident, and where permitted by law.