Standard Terms of Business

Last Revised: 1st December 2019

 

MJH ACCOUNTANTS LIMITED

STANDARD TERMS OF BUSINESS

All engagements that we accept are subject to the following standard terms of business unless changes are expressly agreed in writing.

1 Professional obligations

1.1 We are a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and in our conduct are subject to its Code of Ethics which can be found at www.icaew.com/regulations. We will observe and act in accordance with the bye-laws and regulations of ICAEW. We accept instructions to act for you on this basis. 

1.2 Where we become aware of errors made by HM Revenue & Customs you give us authority to correct them. We will not be liable for any loss, damage or cost arising from our compliance with statutory or regulatory obligations.

1.3 As required by the Provision of Services Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2999) details of the firm’s professional registrations can be found at http://www.mjhaccountants.co.uk/about-us/legal/

They are repeated below for your convenience;

Audit registration

We are a firm of statutory auditors registered to carry on audit work in the UK by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Details about our audit registration can be viewed at www.auditregister.org.uk under reference number C002217971.

The professional rules applicable to our audit work in the UK are the Audit Regulations which can be found at www.icaew.com/auditnews. In addition there are the International Standards on Auditing (UK) at www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Publications.aspx.

In carrying out our audit work we are subject to the Code of Ethics which can be found at www.icaew.com/en/members/regulations-standards-and-guidance/ethics. With respect to audit work we are also subject to the FRC Ethical Standard which can be found by searching for ‘Ethical Standard’ at www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Publications.aspx. These are available in English.

General practice registration

We are registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales as Chartered Accountants and can be found on the register at http://find.icaew.com/ using our firm name and location.

Provision of probate-type services

1.4 We are not licensed or authorised for the reserved legal activity of non-contentious probate. Consequently, any work we do for you on closely aligned activities, such as estate administration or inheritance tax advice, will not be covered by the ICAEW Probate Compensation Scheme, this service will not be covered by legal personal privilege and you will not have access to the Legal Ombudsman.

Professional indemnity insurance

1.5 In accordance with the disclosure requirements of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, our professional indemnity insurer is Hiscox Insurance Company Limited, of 1 Great St. Helen’s, London, EC3A 6HX. 

The territorial coverage is worldwide excluding professional business carried out from an office in the United States of America or Canada and excludes any action for a claim brought in any court in the United States of America or Canada.

1.6 If for any reason circumstances arise that may result in a claim to our professional indemnity insurers, you give us your permission to notify them.

 

2 Fees

2.1 Our fees are calculated on the basis of time spent on your affairs by the principals of the firm and our staff (including any sub-contractors or consultants that we may employ), and on the levels of skill and responsibility involved (“time-based billing”). In addition we may charge disbursements of travel, accommodation and other expenses incurred in dealing with your affairs.

2.2 As an alternative to time-based billing, we may agree a fixed fee for a specific scope of work which will be formalised in a “Fixed fee agreement” and signed by both you as the client and us as the service provider. 

It is not our practice to identify fixed fees for more than a one year ahead as such fee quotes need to be reviewed in light of events. If it becomes apparent to us, due to unforeseen circumstances, that a fee quote is inadequate, we reserve the right to notify you of a revised figure or range and to seek your agreement thereto.

2.3 If it is necessary for us to carry out additional work that is outside the scope of the engagement currently in place with you, we will advise you of this. Additional work may result in additional fees being charged, however, we will always agree the basis of such fees in advance and it will be your choice as to whether you are charged according to the time spent or alternatively if you wish to agree a fixed fee in advance.

We would therefore like to point out that it is in your interests to ensure that the information you provide us with is completed to the degree and accuracy agreed.

2.4 Where we have agreed that you will pay on an invoice rendered basis, invoices are payable in full (including disbursements) in accordance with the terms set out on the invoice. Any queries you have on our invoices must be notified to us within 21 days of receipt or we shall deem you to have accepted that payment is due.

2.5 Unless otherwise agreed, fees for recurring work will be due by monthly direct debit, either based on a fixed fee agreement (see 2.2 above) or based on an estimate of the time and expenses to be incurred (see 2.1 above). Any failed payments under a direct debit arrangement will be considered a non-payment and will be dealt with in accordance with the procedure in sections 2.6 and 2.7 below.

2.6 Where fees are still outstanding after 30 days, the firm will look to collect the debt immediately.

The firm is also able to charge interest on the overdue amounts under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Interest is chargeable at 8% above the Bank of England base rate at the appropriate reference date.

We also reserve the right to suspend our services or to cease to act for you on giving written notice if payment of any fees is unduly delayed. We intend to exercise these rights only where it is fair and reasonable to do so.

2.7 If, the amounts remain outstanding after all reasonable attempts to collect them directly from you have been made, then the firm may take legal action to recover the debts.

If legal action is taken, the firm will also seek to pass on the recovery costs to you.

We stress that any successful legal action made against you for non-payment could have a serious adverse impact upon your credit rating.

2.8 In some cases, you may be entitled to assistance with your professional fees, particularly in relation to any investigation into your tax affairs by H.M. Revenue and Customs. Assistance may be provided through insurance policies you hold or via membership of a professional or trade body.

Other than where such insurance was arranged through us, you will need to advise us of any such insurance cover that you have. You will remain liable for our fees regardless of whether all or part are liable to be paid by your insurers.

2.9 Unless otherwise agreed to the contrary, our fees do not include the costs of any third party, counsel or other professional fees.

2.10 In the event that we cease to act for you then you agree to meet all reasonable costs of providing non-standard information to your new advisers.

2.11 Either of us is free to terminate this agreement at any time and for any reason by providing thirty days’ written notice. Where we have carried out work under this agreement that has not been paid for, we will invoice you and this will be payable by you in accordance with the terms set out on the invoice and with our standard terms of business. In the event of termination by MJH Accountants; where the monthly payments made by you exceed the charges for the work, we have actually carried out at the point of termination then we will return any left-over balance to you.

In all other cases, the monthly fees are due up until and including the notice period and are non-repayable.

2.12 All our invoices are primarily payable by you. However, where you are a limited liability company or partnership, it is a condition of us accepting instructions, that should the company or partnership fail to make payment of any invoice issued by us by the due date, then one or more directors or members of the company or partnership guarantees to be liable for, and make payment of such debt to us immediately, without any set off, deduction or counterclaim. On that basis, the engagement letter must be signed by each director or member of the company or partnership who is prepared to give this guarantee, as evidence of their consent to it. If more than one director or member of a company or partnership gives the guarantee set out in this paragraph, then they shall each have joint and several liability.

 

3 Help us to give you the right service

3.1 If at any time you would like to discuss with us how our service to you could be improved, or if you are dissatisfied with the service you are receiving, please let us know by contacting Mark James Hall.

3.2 We undertake to look into any complaint carefully and promptly and do all we can to explain the position to you. If we do not answer your complaint to your satisfaction you may of course take up the matter with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

3.3 In order for us to provide you with a high quality service on an ongoing basis it is essential that you provide us with relevant records and information when requested, reply to correspondence in a timely manner and otherwise follow the terms of the agreement between us set out in this Standard Terms of Business and associated Engagement letters. We therefore reserve the right to cancel the engagement between us with immediate effect in the event of:

• your insolvency, bankruptcy or other arrangement being reached with creditors;
• failure to pay our fees by the due dates;
• either party being in breach of their obligations where this is not corrected within 30 days of being asked to do so.

 

4 Commissions or other benefits

4.1 In some circumstances, commissions or other benefits may become payable to us or one of our associates in respect of transactions we or such associates arrange for you. If this happens we will notify you in writing of the amount and terms of payment. The fees that would be otherwise payable by you will not be abated by such amounts. You consent to such commission or other benefits being retained by us or, as the case may be, by our associates, without our, or their, being liable to account to you for any such amounts.

For example, if we refer you to our one of our IFA partners, then we would be likely to receive a 25% split of all fees / commissions they receive throughout their engagement with you.

 

5 Client monies

5.1 We may at times hold money on your behalf. Any such money will be held on trust in a client bank account, which is held separately to funds that belong to us. The account will be operated, and all funds dealt with, in accordance with the Clients’ Money Regulations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

5.2 To avoid excessive amounts of administration, interest will only be paid to you if the amount of interest that would be earned on the balances held on your behalf in any calendar year exceeds £25. Any such interest would be calculated using the prevailing rate applied by our banker for small deposits subject to the minimum period of notice for withdrawals. Subject to any tax legislation, interest will be paid gross.

5.3 If the total sum of money held on your behalf is enough to give rise to a significant amount of interest or is likely to do so, then the money will be placed in a separate interest-bearing client bank account designated to you. All interest earned on such money will be paid to you. Subject to any tax legislation, interest will be paid gross.

5.4 Money held on your behalf in relation to probate services will be held in a separate client bank account ring-fenced for legal services. This will normally be a separate interest bearing client account for the estate in question.

5.5 We will return monies held on your behalf promptly as soon as there is no longer any reason to retain those funds. In the unlikely event of us holding any unclaimed monies we reserve the right to pay such monies to a registered charity in line with the guidelines set out in the Clients’ Money Regulations referred to above. We will not do this unless we have been unable to contact you for at least 5 years and we have taken reasonable steps to trace you and return the monies.

5.6 We are required under the client money regulations to appoint an alternate to administer the client bank account in the event of the death or incapacity of the principal. The alternate appointed by this firm is Ian Walling of this firm.

 

6 Retention of and access to records

6.1 During the course of our work we will collect information from you and others acting on your behalf and will return any original documents to you following the preparation of your accounts and returns. You have a legal responsibility to retain these records. The law requires individuals, trustees and partnerships to keep records in relation to trading or rental income 6 years from the 31 January following the end of the tax year to which they relate. Other records should be kept for 22 months after the end of the tax year they relate to. Companies, Limited Liability Partnerships and other corporate entities are required to keep records for 6 years from the end of the accounting period.

6.2 While certain documents may legally belong to you, unless you tell us not to, we intend to destroy correspondence and other papers that we store which are more than seven years old, other than documents which we consider to be of continuing significance. If you require retention of any document you must notify us of that fact in writing.

 

7 Conflicts of interest and independence

7.1 We reserve the right during our engagement with you to deliver services to other clients whose interests might compete with yours or are or may be adverse to yours. We confirm that we will notify you immediately should we become aware of any conflict of interest involving us and affecting you. We have safeguards that can be implemented to protect the interests of different clients if a conflict arises. Where conflicts are identified which cannot be managed in a way that protects your interests then we regret that we will be unable to provide further services.

7.2 If a conflict of interest should arise, either between two or more of our clients, or in the provision of multiple services to a single client, we will take such steps as are necessary to deal with the conflict. In resolving the conflict, we would be guided by the Code of Ethics of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales which can be viewed at www.icaew.com/regulations.

 

8 Confidentiality

8.1 Communication between us is confidential and we shall take all reasonable steps to keep your information confidential except where we are required to disclose it by law, by regulatory bodies, by our insurers or as part of an external peer review. We may, on occasions, subcontract work on your affairs to other tax or accounting professionals. Any subcontractors we use will be bound by the same confidentiality requirements.

 

9 Quality control

9.1 As part of our ongoing commitment to providing a quality service, our files are periodically subject to an independent regulatory or quality review. Our reviewers are highly experienced and professional people and are, of course, bound by the same requirements of confidentiality as our principals and staff.

 

10 Applicable law

10.1 This engagement letter is governed by, and construed in accordance with, English law. The Courts of England will have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any claim, dispute or difference concerning this engagement letter and any matter arising from it. Each party irrevocably waives any right it may have to object to any action being brought in those courts, to claim that the action has been brought in an inappropriate forum, or to claim that those courts do not have jurisdiction.

10.2 If any provision in these terms of business or any associated engagement letter, or its application, are found to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

 

11 Changes in the Law

11.1 We will not accept responsibility if you act on advice previously given by us without first confirming with us that the advice is still valid in the light of any change in the law or your circumstances.

11.2 We will accept no liability for losses arising from changes in the law or the interpretation thereof that occur after the date on which the advice is given.

 

12 Internet communication

12.1 Unless you tell us otherwise we will at times use email or other electronic means to communicate with you.

12.2 Internet communications are capable of data corruption and therefore we do not accept any responsibility for changes made to such communications after their despatch.  It may therefore be inappropriate to rely on advice contained in an e-mail without obtaining written confirmation of it.  We do not accept responsibility for any errors or problems that may arise through the use of internet communication and all risks connected with sending commercially sensitive information relating to your business are borne by you. If you do not agree to accept this risk, you should notify us in writing that e-mail is not an acceptable means of communication.

12.3 It is the responsibility of the recipient to carry out a virus check on any attachments received.

 

13 Data Protection 

13.1 To enable us to discharge the services agreed in this engagement letter, comply with related legal and regulatory obligations and for other related purposes including updating and enhancing client records and analysis for management purposes, as a data controller, we may obtain, use, process and disclose personal data about you / your business / company / partnership / its shareholders / members / officers and employees as described in our privacy notice. We confirm when processing data on your behalf that we will comply with the provisions of all relevant data protection legislation and regulation. 

13.2 You are also an independent controller responsible for complying with data protection legislation and regulation in respect of the personal data you process and, accordingly where you disclose personal data to us you confirm that such disclosure is fair and lawful and otherwise does not contravene relevant requirements. Nothing within this engagement letter relieves you as a data controller of your own direct responsibilities and liabilities under data protection legislation and regulation including the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and any related regulations

13.3 Data protection legislation and regulation places obligations on you as a data controller where we act as a data processor to undertake the processing of personal data on your behalf, for instance where we operate a payroll service for you. We therefore confirm that we will at all times take appropriate measures to comply with relevant requirements when processing data on your behalf. In particular we confirm that we have adequate security measures in place and that we will comply with any obligations equivalent to those placed on you as a data controller. Terms relating to our responsibilities as a data processor are set out in an appendix to these terms of business.

13.4 Our privacy notice, which can be found on our website at http://www.mjhaccountants.co.uk/about-us/legal/ and as set out in a separate appendix to these terms of business explains how we process personal data in respect of the various services that we provide.

 

14 Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999

14.1 Persons who are not party to this agreement shall have no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this agreement. This clause does not affect any right or remedy of any person which exists or is available otherwise than pursuant to that Act.

14.2 The advice we give you is for your sole use and is confidential to you and will not constitute advice for any third party to whom you may communicate it. We will accept no responsibility to third parties for any aspect of our professional services or work that is made available to them.

 

15 The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2017

15.1 In common with all accountancy and legal practices, the firm is required by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 to:

• Maintain identification procedures for clients and beneficial owners of clients;
• Maintain records of identification evidence and the work undertaken for the client; and
• Report, in accordance with the relevant legislation and regulations.

15.2 The offence of money laundering includes concealing, converting, using or possessing the benefits of any activity that constitutes a criminal offence in the UK. It also includes involvement in any arrangement that facilitates the acquisition, retention, use or control of such a benefit. 

15.3 This definition is very wide and would include such crimes as deliberate tax evasion, deliberate failure to inform the tax authorities of known underpayments or excessive repayments, fraudulent claiming of benefits or grants, or obtaining a contract through bribery. Clearly these examples are by no means exhaustive.

15.4 We are obliged by law to report any instances of money laundering to NCA without your knowledge or consent. In consequence, neither the firms’ principals nor staff may enter into any correspondence or discussions with you regarding such matters.

15.5 We may use electronic checks as part of our identification procedures. We confirm that these electronic checks are not credit checks.

 

16 General limitation of liability

16.1 We will provide services as outlined in this letter with reasonable care and skill. However, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible for any losses, penalties, surcharges, interest or additional tax liabilities where you or others supply incorrect or incomplete information, or fail to supply any appropriate information or where you fail to act on our advice or respond promptly to communications from us or the tax authorities.

16.2 You will not hold us, the owners of this firm and any staff employed by the firm, responsible, to the fullest extent permitted by law, for any loss suffered by you arising from any misrepresentation (intentional or unintentional) supplied to us orally or in writing in connection with this agreement. You have agreed that you will not bring any claim in connection with services we provide to you against any of the principals or employees personally.

16.3 Our work is not, unless there is a legal or regulatory requirement, to be made available to third parties without our written permission and we will accept no responsibility to third parties for any aspect of our professional services or work that is made available to them.

 

17 Use of our name in statements or documents issued by you

17.1 You are not permitted to use our name in any statement or document that you may issue unless our prior written consent has been obtained. The only exception to this restriction would be statements or documents that in accordance with applicable law are to be made public.

 

18 Draft/interim work

18.1 In the course of our providing services to you we may provide advice or reports or other work products in draft or interim form. However final written work products will always prevail over any draft or interim statements. Where you request it, we will provide up with written confirmation of matters stated orally.

 

19 Advice

19.1 Advice we give you orally should not be relied upon unless we confirm it in writing. We endeavour to record all advice on important matters in writing. However if you particularly wish to rely upon oral advice we give you during a telephone conversation or a meeting, you must ask for the advice to be confirmed in writing.

19.2 Unless specifically instructed and agreed in advance we will not assist with the implementation of our advice.

 

20 Intellectual property rights

20.1 The copyright in any document prepared by us belongs to us in entirety unless the law specifically provides otherwise.

 

21 Interpretation

21.1 If there is a conflict between the engagement letter and these terms of business then the engagement letter takes precedence.

21.2 If any provision of this engagement letter or terms of business or its application is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provision and its application shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

 

22 Provision of cloud-based services

22.1 Where the firm provides accounting software in the Cloud, this will be provided by a third party (the ‘Cloud Supplier’). The third party has signed a confidentiality agreement with the firm to ensure compliance with the relevant clauses in the firm’s standard terms of business i.e. our fees (2), Confidentiality (8), Internet Communication (12), Data Protection Act (13) and General Limitation of Liability(16).

22.2 The service provided by the Cloud Supplier will be a discrete web based hosted facility, and you agree that access will also be provided to the firm and the third party.

22.3 The firm cannot be held liable for any interruption of service provided by the Cloud Supplier. However, we will liaise with them to help ensure that normal service is resumed as soon as possible.

 

23 Investment services

23.1 We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct Investment Business. If you require investment business services we will refer you to a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

 

24 Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and Common Reporting Standards

24.1 Unless agreed specifically in a separate engagement letter, we are not responsible for your compliance with the International Tax Compliance (United States of America) Regulations 2013, produced as a result of FATCA.  In particular, we are not responsible for the categorisation of any UK entity into either a Financial Institution (FI) or an active or passive  Non-Financial Foreign Entity (NFFE) nor, if a Financial Institution, for its registration with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and subsequent submission of the required annual returns to HM Revenue & Customs.  

24.2 However, if requested to do so we can provide advice on the completion of the forms supplied by Financial Institutions under these Regulations, or under Common Reporting Standards, and used by them to determine the status of an entity. We can also provide advice on setting up the appropriate systems to identify and report on your clients or beneficiaries who are foreign citizens affected by FATCA or Common Reporting Standards.

 

APPENDIX 1

Last Revised: 1st December 2019

 

MJH ACCOUNTANTS LIMITED

PRIVACY NOTICE

 

MJH Accountants Limited takes the protection of your privacy very seriously.  We will only use your personal information to deliver the products and services you have requested from us, and to meet our legal responsibilities.

 

How do we collect information from you?

We obtain information about you when you engage us to deliver our products and/or services and/or when you use our website, for example, when you contact us about our products and/or services.

 

What type of information do we collect from you?

The personal information we collect from you will vary depending on which products and/or services you engage us to deliver.  The personal information we collect might include your name, address, telephone number, email address, your Unique Tax Reference (UTR) number, your National Insurance number, bank account details, your IP address, which pages you may have visited on our website and when you accessed them.

 

How is your information used?

In general terms, and depending on which products and/or services you engage us to deliver, as part of providing our agreed services we may use your information to:

• contact you by post, email or telephone
• verify your identity where this is required
• understand your needs and how they may be met
• maintain our records in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory obligations
• process financial transactions
• prevent and detect crime, fraud or corruption

 

We are required by legislation, other regulatory requirements and our insurers to retain your data where we have ceased to act for you.  The period of retention required varies with the applicable legislation but is typically five or six years.  To ensure compliance with all such requirements it is the policy of the firm to retain all data for a period of seven years from the end of the period concerned.

 

Who has access to your information?

We will not sell or rent your information to third parties.

We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Any staff with access to your information have a duty of confidentiality under the ethical standards that this firm is required to follow.

 

Third Party Service Providers working on our behalf

We may pass your information to our third party service providers, agents, subcontractors and other associated organisations for the purposes of completing tasks and providing services to you on our behalf, for example to accounting software providers, process payroll or basic bookkeeping.  However, when we use third party service providers, we disclose only the personal information that is necessary to deliver the service and we have a contract in place that requires them to keep your information secure and not to use it for their own purposes. 

Please be assured that we will not release your information to third parties unless you have requested that we do so, or we are required to do so by law, for example, by a court order or for the purposes of prevention and detection of crime, fraud or corruption.

 

How you can access and update your information

Keeping your information up to date and accurate is important to us.  We commit to regularly review and correct where necessary, the information that we hold about you.  

If any of your information changes, please email or write to us, or call us using the ‘Contact information’ noted below.

You have the right to ask for a copy of the information MJH Accountants Limited holds about you.

 

Security precautions in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of your information

Whilst we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. 

Once we receive your information, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems. Where we have given, or where you have chosen, a password which enables you to access information, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential.  We ask you not to share your password with anyone.

Your data will usually be processed in our offices in the UK.  However, to allow us to operate efficient digital processes, we sometimes need to store information in servers located outside the UK, but within the European Economic Area (EEA).  We take the security of your data seriously and so all our systems have appropriate security in place that complies with all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements.

 

Your choices

We may occasionally contact you by post / email / telephone with details of any changes in legal and regulatory requirements or other developments that may be relevant to your affairs, which for the avoidance of doubt, include our firm’s newsletter and Tax information publication, and, where applicable, how we may assist you further.  

If you do not wish to receive such information from us, please let us know by contacting us as indicated under ‘Contact information’ below.

 

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 
• you have validly objected to our use of your personal information – see ‘Objecting to how we may use your information’ below
• our use of your personal information is contrary to law or our other legal obligations
• we are using your information with your consent and you have withdrawn your consent – see ‘withdrawing consent to use your information’ below

 

Restricting how we may use your 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 there is no longer a basis for using your personal information but you do not want us to delete the data.  Where this right is 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.

 

Objecting to how we may use your information: 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.  

You have the right at any time to require us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes.

Withdrawing consent to use 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 ‘Contact information’ below if you wish to exercise any of these rights.

 

Changes to our privacy notice

We keep this privacy notice under regular review and will place any updates on http://www.mjhaccountants.co.uk/about-us/legal/.  

Paper copies of the privacy notice may also be obtained by request. Please email office@mjhaccountants.co.uk

This privacy notice was last updated on 1st December 2019.

 

Contact information 

Should you have any questions about our privacy policy, please do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection manager, Mark James Hall as follows;

Mr M. J. Hall

MJH Accountants 

129 Woodplumpton Road 

Fulwood

Preston 

PR2 3LF

 

mark@mjhaccountants.co.uk

 

Complaints

We seek to resolve directly all complaints about how we handle your personal information but you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at 

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

 

APPENDIX 2

Processing of customer personal data

This Appendix gives more information on the processing of customer data in accordance with Article 28(3) of the General Data Protection Regulation. 

In respect of the client personal data, unless otherwise required by applicable laws or other regulatory requirements, we shall:

• process the client personal data only in accordance with your lawful written instructions, in order to provide you with the services pursuant to our engagement with you and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation; 

 

• disclose and transfer the client personal data to members of our firm’s network, our regulatory bodies or other third parties (for example, our professional advisors or service providers)  as and to the extent necessary in order to provide you with the services pursuant to our engagement with you in relation to those services;

 

• disclose the client personal data to courts, government agencies and other third parties as and to the extent required by law; 

 

• maintain written records of our processing activities performed on your behalf which shall include: (i) the categories of processing activities performed; (ii) details of any cross border data transfers outside of the European Economic Area (EEA); and (iii) a general description of security measures implemented in respect of the client personal data;

 

• maintain commercially reasonable and appropriate security measures, including administrative, physical and technical safeguards, to protect against unauthorised or unlawful processing of any client personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, such client personal data.

 

• return or delete all the client personal data upon the termination of the engagement with you pursuant to which we agreed to provide the services; 

 

• ensure that only those personnel who need to have access to the client personal data are granted access to it and that all of the personnel authorised to process the client personal data are bound by a duty of confidentiality; 

 

• notify you if we appoint a sub-processor (but only if you have given us your  prior written consent, such consent not to be reasonably withheld or delayed) and ensure any agreement entered into with the relevant sub-processor includes similar terms as the terms set out in this clause [7]; 

 

• where we transfer the client personal data to a country or territory outside the EEA  to do so in accordance with data protection legislation; 

 

• notify you promptly if:

 

• we receive a request, complaint or any adverse correspondence from or on behalf of a relevant data subject, to exercise their data subject rights under the data protection legislation or in respect of the client personal data; or

 

• we are served with an information or assessment notice, or receive any other material communication in respect of our processing of the client personal data from a supervisory body (for example, the Information Commissioner’s Office);

 

• notify you, without undue delay, in the event that we reasonably believe that there has been a personal data breach in respect of the client personal data;

 

• at your cost and upon receipt of your prior written notice, allow you, on an annual basis and/or in the event that we notify you of personal data breach in respect of the client personal data, reasonable access to the relevant records, files, computer or other communication systems, for the purposes of reviewing our compliance with the data protection laws.

 

Without prejudice to the generality of clause 13.1, you will ensure that you have all necessary appropriate consents and notices in place to enable the lawful transfer of the client personal data to us.

Should you require any further details regarding our treatment of personal data, please contact our Data Protection manager Mark James Hall.