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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 4, 2024

Hacker, Johnson & Smith PA (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit hackerjohnson.com, contact us, engage our accounting, audit, tax, consulting, or advisory services, or otherwise communicate with our firm.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our website or providing information to us, you agree to the practices described below.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect information that you provide directly, information collected automatically through our website, and information received from third parties in connection with the services we provide.

Information You Provide Directly

We may collect personal and business information such as:

  • Contact details, including name, phone number, email address, mailing address, business name, and job title.
  • Inquiry details submitted through website forms, email, phone calls, or other communications.
  • Client onboarding information, including business entity details, ownership information, tax identification information, and engagement-related records.
  • Accounting, audit, tax, financial, payroll, bookkeeping, and advisory information provided to us in connection with our professional services.
  • Documents and records you upload, send, or otherwise provide through client portals, email, secure file transfer tools, or in person.
  • Billing and payment information, which may be processed through secure third-party payment processors. We do not store full payment card numbers on our systems.
  • Communications, including emails, phone records, meeting notes, form submissions, and other messages exchanged with our firm.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect limited technical information, such as:

  • IP address.
  • Device type.
  • Operating system.
  • Browser type.
  • Pages viewed.
  • Referring URL.
  • Date and time of visit.
  • Approximate geographic location inferred from your IP address.
  • Website interaction and analytics data.

This information helps us operate the website, understand how visitors use it, improve performance, and maintain security.

Information from Third Parties

In connection with our professional services, we may receive information from third parties such as:

  • Tax authorities, regulatory agencies, or government portals.
  • Financial institutions.
  • Payroll providers.
  • Accounting software providers.
  • Business systems, client portals, and document management platforms.
  • Attorneys, financial advisors, bookkeepers, or other professional representatives authorized by you or your organization.
  • Analytics and website technology providers, such as Google Analytics, where applicable.

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect to:

  • Respond to inquiries submitted through our website, by phone, by email, or through other communication channels.
  • Provide accounting, audit, tax, consulting, advisory, and related professional services.
  • Prepare, review, or support tax filings, financial statements, audit materials, accounting records, and other client deliverables.
  • Manage client relationships and engagement records.
  • Schedule meetings and communicate about services, deadlines, documents, and account matters.
  • Process invoices, payments, and billing records.
  • Maintain client files and comply with professional, regulatory, tax, legal, and recordkeeping obligations.
  • Improve our website, services, internal operations, and client experience.
  • Monitor website performance, security, and usage trends.
  • Prevent fraud, unauthorized access, misuse, or other unlawful activity.
  • Send service-related communications.
  • Send marketing or informational communications where permitted by law. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.

3. How We Share Information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share information in limited circumstances, including with:

  • Service providers who help us operate our business, website, client portals, email systems, document management systems, billing tools, analytics tools, cybersecurity systems, and other technology platforms.
  • Professional advisors, including attorneys, consultants, auditors, insurers, and compliance professionals.
  • Tax authorities, regulatory agencies, courts, law enforcement, or other government entities when required or permitted by law.
  • Financial institutions, payroll providers, software platforms, or other third parties when necessary to provide services requested by you or your organization.
  • Authorized representatives, such as attorneys, financial advisors, bookkeepers, or other parties you authorize us to communicate with.
  • Business successors in the event of a merger, restructuring, acquisition, sale of assets, or similar business transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

We require service providers to use information only as necessary to provide services to us and to protect that information using reasonable safeguards.

4. Client Confidentiality

As a CPA firm, we understand the sensitive nature of the financial, tax, accounting, and business information entrusted to us. We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect client information.

We may also be subject to professional standards, confidentiality obligations, engagement terms, and applicable laws governing the use and disclosure of client information.

This Privacy Policy is intended to describe our website and general privacy practices. It does not replace the terms of any signed engagement letter, client agreement, professional obligation, or legal requirement that may apply to our services.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies, pixels, tags, scripts, analytics tools, and similar technologies to operate the site, improve functionality, measure website performance, and understand visitor activity.

These technologies may include:

  • Essential cookies needed for the website to function.
  • Analytics cookies that help us understand how visitors use the website.
  • Preference cookies that remember certain settings.
  • Security-related technologies that help protect the website.
  • Third-party tools, such as Google Analytics, where applicable.

Some cookies and tracking technologies may collect or transmit information such as IP address, device information, browser information, page URL, referring URL, and website interaction data.

Where required by law, we will request your consent before using non-essential cookies or similar tracking technologies. You may also adjust your cookie preferences through the cookie banner or settings tool available on our website, where provided.

You can also disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain website features.

To opt out of Google Analytics, you may use Google’s browser add-on available at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

6. Analytics and Third-Party Website Tools

We may use analytics and website technology providers to help us understand website traffic, improve site performance, evaluate marketing effectiveness, and maintain security.

These providers may process information collected through cookies, pixels, scripts, or similar technologies. Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the right to opt out of certain analytics, advertising, or tracking activities.

We do not control every third-party website, platform, or service that may be linked from our website. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access.

7. Your Privacy Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain privacy rights or choices, including the ability to:

  • Request access to certain personal information we maintain about you.
  • Request correction of inaccurate information.
  • Request deletion of certain personal information, subject to legal, professional, tax, regulatory, contractual, and recordkeeping obligations.
  • Opt out of marketing communications.
  • Adjust cookie preferences where a cookie consent tool is available.
  • Opt out of certain types of data sharing or targeted advertising where required by applicable law.

To make a privacy request, please contact us using the information in Section 13.

We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests. We may also decline or limit a request where permitted by law, including when we must retain information to comply with legal, tax, accounting, audit, professional, or contractual obligations.

Residents of other states may also have privacy rights under applicable state law. Contact us to make a request.

8. Notice for California Residents

If you are a California resident, you may have rights under California privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, if those laws apply to our business and your information.

These rights may include:

  • The right to know what personal information is collected, used, disclosed, sold, or shared.
  • The right to request deletion of certain personal information.
  • The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information.
  • The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, where applicable.
  • The right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information, where applicable.
  • The right not to be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights.

We do not knowingly sell personal information for money. Some website analytics, advertising, or tracking technologies may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” under certain privacy laws. Where required, we provide a way to manage or opt out of those activities.

California residents may submit privacy requests using the contact information in Section 13.

9. Florida Information Protection Act

We maintain reasonable measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

If we determine that a security breach has occurred involving personal information covered by the Florida Information Protection Act, we will provide notices as required by applicable Florida law.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, provide professional services, maintain business records, comply with legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and satisfy tax, accounting, audit, insurance, and professional recordkeeping requirements.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, the nature of the client relationship, applicable law, professional standards, and engagement requirements.

11. Security

We use commercially reasonable technical, administrative, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information.

These safeguards may include encrypted data transmission, secure file transfer tools, limited access controls, password-protected systems, internal access restrictions, vendor security controls, and other appropriate measures.

However, no method of internet transmission, email communication, or electronic storage is completely secure. You should use caution when sending sensitive information electronically and use secure file transfer methods when available.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through our website.

If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, please contact us and we will take reasonable steps to delete the information.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

Hacker, Johnson & Smith PA 500 North Westshore Blvd. Suite 1000 Tampa, Florida 33609

Phone: 813-286-2424

Email: info@hackerjohnson.com

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we collect, use, and protect information.