Privacy Policy

  • Introduction

    Introduction

    This Privacy Notice explains the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we’ll store and process that data, and how we’ll keep it safe.

    We appreciate that there’s a lot of information to take in here, but we want to make sure that you’re fully informed about your rights and how Et Sequentes Limited (which includes our trading name of Acumist) uses your data. (Data Protection Number ZA223630).

    We hope this notice covers what you’d like to know, if not, please get in touch with us at support@acumist.com

    It’s likely that we’ll need to update our Privacy Policy occasionally. We’ll email you if there’s any important changes.

    Who are we

    Acumist is a trading name of Et Sequentes Limited, which provides accountancy, tax and coaching to contractors, freelancers, companies and individuals.

    What is personal data

    Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) personal data is defined as:

    “any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person ('data subject'); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person”.

  • How do we use your data?

    How do we use your data?

    Here’s how we’ll use your personal data and why

    We’ll process (collect, store and use) your data in a manner compatible with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

    We’ll endeavour to keep your information accurate and up to date and won’t keep it for longer than is legally necessary.

    We want to deliver the best possible customer experience. In order to do this, we only request the information that’s essential to getting you signed up with the service you’ve chosen.

    We’ll use your personal data to be able to answer your queries, send you legitimate emails such as unusual opening hours, accountancy fee changes and complaints. Processing the information you send us means we can respond quickly and professionally. We’ll also keep a record of these to inform any communication in the future with us and to be able to show how we communicated with you at that time. We’ll do this on the basis of our contractual obligations to you, our legal obligations and our legitimate interests in providing you with the best possible service and for service level improvement.

    We’ll use your data, when you first join, to email you to ask what your preferences are about receiving additional information, e.g. a newsletter.

    We’re 100% focused on ensuring that the information we collect from you and use is appropriate for the purposes of the service we provide and does not constitute an invasion of your privacy.

    How we protect your personal data?

    We know how important data security is to all our customers. We’re committed to treating and processing your data with absolute care and have put in place all the necessary steps, policies, procedures and training, as guided by the ICO, to protect it.

    How long do we keep your personal data?

    We’ll process your personal data for the duration of your contract with us and will store the personal data for the legally required time period.

    We’re required to retain information in accordance with the law, such as information needed for accounting and tax and purposes.

    With whom do we share your personal data?

    We won’t pass on your personal data to third parties without first obtaining your consent.

    However, trusted third parties may receive your personal data as part of our processing activities with legitimate consent, contractual obligation or legal compliance.

    They can only use your data for the specific purposes detailed in our contract with them.

    We work closely with all our suppliers to ensure that your privacy is always respected and protected.

    Sharing your data with third parties for their own purposes.

    We’ll only do this for specific reasons with your explicit consent. For example: our Insurance Partners, Croner Taxwise Insurance, if you’ve asked to be referred for insurance services or a bank if you’ve requested us to help you to open a business bank account.

  • Legal Basis for Processing

    Upon which legal bases do we rely?

    The law on data protection sets out several different reasons for which we can collect and process your personal data. These include;

    Consent

    In certain situations, we can collect and process your data with your explicit consent.

    • For example: When you first join Acumist our Marketing Team will send you an email asking what your preferences are to receive emails from us. You’ll have the opportunity to tick a box to ask to receive email newsletters or information about new products and services.
    • For example: When you join Acumist you may wish to include third party software add-ons to your accountancy solution such as WorkflowMax, ReceiptBank, Chaser, Futrli, Spotlight or Dear.
    • For example: If you’re joining Acumist and wish to protect your exposure to fees under a tax investigation, you may wish to give consent to us to pass your personal data to Croner Taxwise Insurance or another insurance provider to contact you.
    • For example: If you ask us to assist with setting up a bank account, you may wish to give us consent to pass your data to a bank.
    • Some of our customers require external tax advisors or EU VAT specialists and we’ll work with them, with your consent, to provide you with the best possible service.

    When collecting your personal data, we’ll always make clear to you which data is necessary in connection with your service.

    Legitimate interest

    We’ll need to collect and process your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations to you. The type of essential data we need to collect from you will depend on the service you sign up to and includes;

    Personal data type: Accountancy Customers

    Names
    Addresses
    Date of Birth
    Bank details
    NI Number
    UTR Number
    Nationality
    Telephone Number
    Email Address
    Mother’s maiden name
    Eye colour
    Company name
    Identification documents such as a passport or driving licence
    Eligibility to work
    Tax residency

    Personal data type: Self Assessment Clients

    Names
    Addresses
    Date of Birth
    Contact Numbers
    Country of Birth
    Marital Status
    Gender
    Anti-Money Laundering Information
    Identification documents such as a passport or driving licence
    Residential Status
    Dependents
    Employment Details
    Earnings
    Benefit Income
    Business records
    Property records including mortgage statements
    Pension Records
    Records in respect of other assets owned/held (e.g. investments)
    Employees' database
    Customers' database
    Contractual obligations

    We need to collect and process your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations to you and may include passing your personal data to a trusted third party such as:

    • Xero or Quickbooks if you’re an accountancy customer
    • Thompson Reuters Digita or Inform Direct to incorporate your limited company
    • Your recruitment agency (If you’re a limited contractor). We need to send them a copy of your Certificate of Incorporation, so they can send funds to your business bank account.
    • Capitalise, a funding platform, if you require us to assist you to find funding for your business
    • Accountancy Manager, Capsule CRM and Aweber, which is software we use to assist in keeping records of our interactions or for marketing
    Legal compliance

    If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data.

    For example, we can pass on details of people involved in fraud or other criminal activity affecting Acumist to law enforcement. We also may need to pass on your details to third parties such as Companies House, HMRC or Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

  • When do we collect data?

    When do we collect your personal data?

    • When you visit our website and choose to complete/submit an online form with your details e.g. Request a Callback or Email Us.
    • When you ask one of our team to email you information about a product or service.
    • When you speak to or email one of our team to sign up to one of our services. The data we would need to collect is shown above in the table.
    • When you engage with us on social media.
    • When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints etc.
    • When you enter prize draws or competitions.
    • When you choose to complete any surveys we send you.
    • When you’ve given a third party permission to share with us the information they hold about you. E.g. Your recruitment agency.
    • We collect data from publicly available sources when you’ve given your consent to share information or where the information is made public as a matter of law.
    • We may receive contact details from your recruitment agency where they’ve obtained your consent to pass these to us, with a request to contact you to discuss payment options whilst contracting with that agency.
    • We will receive your personal data from debt advisory introducers if you’re an insolvency client.
  • Your Rights

    What are your rights regarding your personal data?

    The GDPR provides the following rights for you as an individual (data subject):

    • Right of access – you have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you.
    • Right of rectification – you have a right to correct data that we hold about you that’s inaccurate or incomplete.
    • Right to be forgotten – in certain circumstances you can ask for the data we hold about you to be erased from our records.
    • Right to restriction of processing – where certain conditions apply to have a right to restrict the processing.
    • Right of portability – you have the right to have the data we hold about you transferred to another organisation.
    • Right to object – you have the right to object to certain types of processing such as direct marketing.
    • Right to object to automated processing, including profiling – you also have the right to be subject to the legal effects of automated processing or profiling.
    • Right to judicial review: in the event that Acumist refuses your request under rights of access, we’ll provide you with a reason as to why. You have the right to complain to the supervising authority (ICO).

    If you wish to exercise these rights please contact us as follows:

    The Data Protection Officer, Acumist, 8 Thorndown Lane, Windlesham, Surrey. GU20 6DD or email support@acumist.com

    To ask for your personal information to be amended please contact your accountant or email admin@acumist.com

    In circumstances where we’re processing your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest and contractual obligation to you, you can ask us to stop for reasons connected to your personal situation.We’ll then always do so unless we believe there’s a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data.

    If we decide not to action your data request we’ll fully explain the reasons to you for our decision.

    To protect your confidential information, we’ll always request that you verify your identity before continuing with any request you make under this Privacy Notice.

    If a third party has been authorised to submit a request on your behalf, we’ll ask them to prove they have your full permission before proceeding.

    How do I stop receiving marketing emails such as newsletters?

    Simply click the unsubscribe link in any email that we send you and it will automatically unsubscribe you from our marketing list.

    Email support@acumist.com and say you’d like us to stop sending marketing emails.

    Write to The Data Protection Officer, Acumist, 8 Thorndown Lane, Windlesham, Surrey. GU20 6DD. Please forgive us if you continue to receive communications for a short time after unsubscribing as some communications may have already been scheduled electronically.

  • Use of Cookies

    Our use of IP addresses and cookies on our website

    Our websites include www.acumist.com, www.acumist.co.ukand www.acumistpayroll.com

    We may collect information about your computer, including where available your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration and to analyse aggregate information. This is statistical data about our users’ browsing actions and patterns and does not identify any individual.

    For the same reason, we may obtain information about your general internet usage by using a cookie file which is stored on the hard drive of your computer. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive. They help us to improve our site and to deliver a better and more personalised service. They enable us:

    • To estimate our audience size and usage pattern.
    • To store information about your preferences, and so allow us to customise our site according to user needs.
    • To speed up your searches.
    • To recognise you when you return to our site.

    You may refuse to accept cookies by activating the setting on your browser which allows you to refuse the setting of cookies. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you log on to our site.

  • Contacting the Regulator

    Contacting the Regulator

    You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) by phoning 0303 123 1113 or go to their website at www.ico.org.uk

    Complaints

    If you wish to make a complaint about how your personal data is being processed by us or how your complaint has been handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the supervisory authority (ICO) or our Data Protection Officer (DPO).

    Please write to The Data Protection Officer, Acumist, 8 Thorndown Lane, Windlesham, Surrey. GU20 6DD or email support@acumist.com