Privacy

This is the privacy statement of Cowan and Partners Limited

This privacy statement explains how we collect and use personal information about you.

What personal information we collect

• Information for preparing your Tax Returns
• Information to allow us to prepare your Annual Accounts for filing with HMRC and Companies House
• Information to allow us to process your business payroll
• Information to allow us to maintain and update your Company Records at Companies House
• Your personal details to allow us to contact you and process the above information
• Information to satisfy our compliance work including audits and our regulatory body may require us to disclose client details to them in the normal course of their duties.

Where we collect personal information from

Generally, we will collect information directly from you. Where appropriate we will collect information from third parties where we have your authority. We may also obtain information from publicly available resources.

How we use your personal information

• Deliver services and meet legal responsibilities
• Verify and identity where required
• Communication by post, e-mail or telephone
• Understand needs and how they may be met
• Maintain records
• Process financial transactions
• Prevent and detect crime, fraud or corruption

Who we share your personal information with

Your personal data may be processed by third parties for the purposes of:

• Specialist financial analysis
• Secure document storage and disposal

In relation to these organisations, we have in place a written contract which only permits them to use your data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions. The contract also requires that the organisation has in place appropriate security measures in relation to your personal data which are in line with our policies.

We will retain your records in physical or digital format for a period of 6 to 10 years

Using our website

Privacy Notice - for our website visitors and email marketing recipients

We confirm that we will comply with the provisions of the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 when processing personal data about you and your family and that we have appropriate security measures in place.

Cowan & Partners Limited is the data controller. We process personal data about you to the extent that this is required for performing the functions that you have asked us to carry out for you.

Cowan & Partners Limited is committed to protecting the privacy of our website users and those who consent to receive marketing emails. This document explains how your personal data is processed fairly within the business in accordance with the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

Personal Data we collect

We may collect the following information from our website users.

• Your visits and use of our website
• Use of cookies
• IP address,
• location,
• browser type,
• referral source,
• length of visit
• number of page views

We additionally collect the following from those who subscribe to email marketing.

• Name
• Email address
• Your consent to receive marketing emails

The purpose for collecting this information is for:

• Information about the number of visitors and their use of the site will only be used for statistical purposes (in aggregate form) to improve our website’s usability and for marketing purposes.
• Provision of newsletters and/or other Cowan & Partners Limited marketing materials
• Registering and/or subscribing to our website service
• Provision of other requested business information regarding our services

The Legal Basis for the processing

You have consented to receive marketing information from us and can remove this at any time.

Use of Cookies and Google Adwords

Cookies are used on this website. The use of cookies is now a standard operating procedure for most websites. If you are uncomfortable with the use of cookies, you will have the option to opt-out of receiving them; however, you may find other functionality in the site impaired. After termination of the visit to our site, you can always delete the cookie from your system. More information about cookies can be obtained at www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

We use Google AdWords remarketing service to advertise on third party websites (including Google) to previous visitors of our site.

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s past visit to the Cowan & Partners Limited site.

It could mean that we advertise to previous visitors who have viewed specific pages during an initial visit to the site. Ads may be shown on the Google search results page, or as banner ads appearing on a site on the Google Display Network. Of course, any data collected will be used in accordance with this privacy policy as well as Google’s.

You can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Preferences page and you can opt out of third party vendor’s use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt out page.

The Recipients of personal data

Information provided by you will be stored securely, kept strictly confidential, and will not be disclosed to any third party without your explicit consent, with the following exceptions:

• In order to give you the information and advice that you require we may need to disclose your information to regulatory authorities.
• Our compliance advisers, auditors, and our regulatory body may require us to disclose certain client details to them in the normal course of their duties.
• The hosting of our web site, and of associated client data, is carried out by Accys Business Consultants plc. Accys only process this information to provide the functionality of the web site.
• We use Mercia to manage our email marketing campaigns and to record your consent.

We will not transfer your data out with the European Economic Area.

Only members of the marketing team have access to the data, which they require to carry out their job function.

Your Rights

Access to your information – You have the right to request a copy of the personal information about you that we hold.

Correcting your information – We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate, complete and up to date and you may ask us to correct any personal information about you that you believe does not meet these standards.

Deletion of your information – You have the right to ask us to delete personal information about you where:

• You consider that we no longer require the information for the purposes for which it was obtained.

• We are using that information with your consent and you have withdrawn your consent – see withdrawing consent to using your information

• You have validly objected to our use of your personal information - see Objecting to how we may use your information

• Our use of your personal information is contrary to law or our legal obligations.

Objecting to how we may use your information –  You have the right at any time to require us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes. In addition, where we use your personal information to perform tasks carried out in the public interest then, if you ask us to , we will stop using that personal information unless there are overriding legitimate grounds to continue.

Restricting how we may use our information – In some cases, you may ask us to restrict how we use your personal information. This right might apply, for example, where we are checking the accuracy of personal information about you that we hold or assessing the validity of any objection you have made to our use of your information. The right might also apply where this is no longer a basis for using your personal information but you don’t want us to delete the data. Where this right to validly exercised, we may only use the relevant personal information with your consent, for legal claims or where there are other public interest grounds to do so.

Automated processing – If we use your personal information on an automated basis to make decisions which significantly affect you, you have the right to ask that the decision be reviewed by an individual to whom you may make representations and contest the decision. This right only applies where we use your information with your consent or as part of a contractual relationship with you.

Withdrawing consent using your information – Where we use your personal information with your consent you may withdraw that consent at any time and we will stop using your personal information for the purpose(s) for which consent was given.

Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the Contact information and further advice section if you wish to exercise any of these rights.

Changes to our privacy statement

We keep this privacy statement under regular review and will place any updates on this website. Paper copies of the privacy statement may also be obtained enquiries@cowanandpartners.co.uk

This privacy statement was last updated on 25^th May 2018

Contact information and further advice

enquiries@cowanandpartners.co.uk

complaints@cowanandpartners.co.uk

Complaints

We seek to resolve directly all complaints about how we handle personal information but you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office, whose contact details are as follows:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone – 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745

Website https://ico.org.uk/concerns