This Privacy Notice explains how Forum Accountants (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to clients, prospective clients, and other individuals we interact with.

We are committed to handling personal data responsibly and in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Forum Accountants is a firm of Chartered Accountants regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

We are the data controller for the personal data we process about you.

2. Information we collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data:

• Identity information (such as name, date of birth, and identification documents)
• Contact information (such as address, email address, and telephone number)
• Financial and tax information
• Employment and business information
• Bank and payment details
• Information provided to us in the course of providing professional services
• Technical data (such as email communications and system access logs where relevant)

We may also process special category data where required for legal, regulatory, or compliance purposes.

3. How we use your information

We use personal data to:

• Provide accounting, tax, and related professional services
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• Verify identity and carry out anti-money laundering and fraud prevention checks
• Communicate with you in relation to our services
• Manage billing, payments, and administration
• Maintain internal records, quality control, and compliance procedures
• Meet professional and regulatory requirements

We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects unless explicitly disclosed.

4. Lawful bases for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases:

• Contract: to provide our services to you
• Legal obligation: to comply with tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements
• Legitimate interests: to manage and improve our business operations
• Consent: where specifically required (for example, certain marketing activities)

5. Sharing your information

We may share your personal data with:

• HM Revenue & Customs and other regulatory bodies
• Companies House and other statutory authorities
• Professional advisers and subcontractors assisting in service delivery
• Cloud service providers and IT systems used for secure data processing
• Third-party verification and compliance providers (including AML checks)

All third parties are required to respect the confidentiality and security of your data.

6. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses.

7. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

8. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to:

• Provide services to you
• Comply with legal, regulatory, and professional obligations
• Resolve disputes or enforce agreements

Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the data and legal requirements.

9. Your rights

You have rights under data protection law, including:

• The right to access your personal data
• The right to rectification of inaccurate data
• The right to erasure (in certain circumstances)
• The right to restrict processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to object to processing
• The right to withdraw consent (where applicable)

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data.

10. Cookies and website use

If you use our website, we may use cookies and similar technologies to improve functionality and monitor usage. 

11. Changes to this notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.

12. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how we handle your data, please contact us by the following methods:

Correspondence address: Piccadilly Business Centre, Unit C Aldow Enterprise Park, Manchester, M12 6AE

Email: info@forumaccountants.co.uk