PRIVACY

Please read our detailed Privacy Policy

Scott Associates Pty Ltd Chartered Accountant has elected to abide by the national privacy principles established under the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2001 demonstrating our commitment to privacy.

Scott Associates also offers independent financial planning advice through an associated firm as outlined on this website. It is affiliated only and not in partnership. The firm Holistic Advisory Services also strongly respects your right to privacy. This Policy covers Scott Associates’ website; however, this Policy does not cover our affiliate’s website.

Why personal information is collected?

As Chartered Accountants we are subject to certain legislative and regulatory requirements which necessitate us obtaining and holding detailed personal and financial information about you.

Our ability to provide you with comprehensive accounting, taxation and financial advice is dependent on us obtaining certain personal information about you. We acknowledge and understand the nature and sensitivity of your personal information and are committed to protecting your privacy.

Collection of Information Policies

We will only collect, maintain and use personal information about you if it is necessary for us to adequately provide to you the services you have requested.

We will not collect any personal information about you except when you have knowingly provided that information to us or authorised a third party to provide that information to us.

Generally collection of your personal information will be effected in either face-to-face interviews, over the telephone, email, mail and or courier. From time to time additional and/or updated personal information may be collected through one or more of those methods.

Scott Associates communicates with its website users on a regular basis, responding to the general inquiries and service requests submitted through the website. This communication will take place via email or phone, in accordance with the user’s wishes.

Scott Associates also publishes regular Practice Updates that a client can choose to subscribe to, we will ask for contact information such as name, address and e-mail address of the individual to whom the Practice Update will be sent. If the individual chooses to unsubscribe from receiving the Practice Update, he/she may do by following the unsubscribe instructions sent with the Practice Update.

Failure to provide the personal information required in order to provide to you the services you have requested, may expose you to higher risks in respect of the recommendations made to you and may affect the adequacy or appropriateness of advice we give to you.

Links

Scott Associates’ website contains ‘links’ to other sites, including that operated by Scott Associates’ affiliate financial planning service. Scott Associates does not control, and is not responsible for, the accuracy, timeliness, security, or even the continued availability or existence of this outside information.

Opinions expressed on other sites linked from Scott Associates’ website are not necessarily those of Scott Associates, nor does Scott Associates endorse, warrant, or guarantee products or services described or offered on those other sites.

Neither is Scott Associates responsible for the content of any websites that choose to link to Scott Associates’ website with or without Scott Associates’ consent.

Other organisations linked to Scott Associates’ website may collect information about you when you view or click on these sites. Scott Associates cannot control this collection of information. You should contact these organisations directly if you have any questions about their use of the information they collect.

Information Use and Disclosure Policies

We will not use or disclose personal information collected by us for any purpose other than the purposes for which it was provided or secondary related purposes in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure. If however it is required to use the information for an additional but related purpose, we will obtain your consent to do so.

We are required under the Accounting Practice Statements of the Institute of Chartered Accountants to make certain information available for inspection by the Institute on request to ensure ongoing compliance with mandatory professional standards.

This may involve the disclosure of your personal information. We may be required by law to release your personal information to the Australian Tax Office and other government entities and must co-operate fully.

Document storage and security policies and practices

Your personal information is generally held in your client file. Information may also be held in a computer database.

We will at all times seek to ensure that the personal information collected and held by us is protected from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. At all times your personal information is treated as confidential and any sensitive information is treated as highly confidential.

In the event you cease to be a client of Scott Associates Pty Ltd any personal information which we hold about you will be maintained in a secure off site storage facility for a period of seven years in order to comply with legislative and professional requirements, following which time the information will be destroyed.

Access and maintaining your information

We undertake to provide you with access to your information provided your request is reasonable and provided we are not precluded from doing so by any law or proceedings, legal or otherwise. Access would be by either copies of the information requested, allowing you to inspect the information or providing you with an accurate summary of the information held.

We will make all efforts to ensure that personal information that we hold is accurate, complete and up-to-date. We encourage you to contact us in order to update any personal information we hold about you. Please contact Scott Associates Pty Ltd in the first instance.

We wish to advise that government bodies impose penalties for failing to update their databases of changes to information. If we act as your agent in respect of notifying those relevant bodies, we must be advised of the relevant change immediately (and preferably before the change).

Contacting us

Should you wish to gain access to your personal information held by Scott Associates, please contact us today.

Changes to Privacy Policy

Scott Associates reserves the right to modify or amend this Privacy Policy at any time and for any reason. Nothing contained herein is intended to create a contract or agreement between Scott Associates and any other party. The users of Scott Associates’ website should reference this Policy periodically to ensure that they have knowledge of the current provisions of Scott Associates’ Privacy Policy. If, however, Scott Associates will be using the users’ personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time of collection, we will notify the user via email.

Making a privacy complaint

If you wish to complain about any breach or potential breach of this privacy policy or the National privacy Principles, you should contact us by any of the methods detailed below and request that your complaint be directed to the privacy Officer. Your complaint will be considered within 7 days and responded to. It is our intention to use our best endeavours to resolve any complaint to your satisfaction, however, if you are unhappy with our response, you are entitled to contact the Office of the privacy Commissioner who may investigate your complaint further.

General Use Of Website Disclaimer

This site is owned and operated by Scott Associates. Access to and the use of this site is subject to the provisions of this legal notice.

Scott Associates’ website is provided for the general information of our clients, friends, and business associates. It is in no way intended to replace or serve as a substitute for accounting, audit, tax, consulting, investment, financial planning, legal, insurance, or any other form of professional advice.

Information contained or provided on Scott Associates’ website is considered to be general and should not be acted upon without consultation from a professional who is aware of the user’s individual situation, circumstances, and jurisdiction.

Site visitors acknowledge and agree that the use of our site does not create nor imply an advisory relationship, in any form, with Scott Associates.

While we have made every effort to ensure that the information contained on our website is correct and from reliable sources, Scott Associates does not claim, promise, or guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any content on the website or any content obtained through the site. Furthermore, Scott Associates is not responsible for errors and omissions.

Scott Associates its affiliates, principals, employees, representatives, and agents are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, consequential, or any other damages without regard to the form of any action, including, but not limited to, contract, negligence or other legal claims, arising out of or in connection with the site, or any content on or accessed through the site.

All hyperlinks provided on Scott Associates website are for informational purposes only and are maintained by third parties. Therefore, Scott Associates makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or any other aspect of the information contained and/or obtained from third party websites accessed through hyperlinks.