Tax Doctors Canada has always taken the issue of safeguarding your privacy very seriously and has been committed to protecting your personal information. We manage our daily business operation with this same integrity, while providing you with a high level of personalized service. Our staff members conduct their day-to-day business in this same manner. Since the new privacy legislation came into effect January 1 2004, it has established practices for the appropriate collection, disclosure of personal information and retention of the information you provided to us directly.
We approve of the privacy legislation, wholeheartedly, and wish to give you comfort and make certain that you clearly understand how we manage your personal information. Please take a few moments to read the enclosed copy of our Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy, please contact our office at 647 478 5560 and ask for the Privacy Officer. We appreciate the confidence that you have placed in our Companies, our financial advisors and our staff, who are dedicated to providing you with the assurance that we protect and respect your personal privacy and appreciate your financial relationships with us.
We Care About Your Privacy
We all want you to have a feeling of comfort and safety when you give us any personal information. Our group of companies, Tax Doctors Canada, GTA Wealth Management Inc. and KEAN Tax Accountants (referred to as “us, “we” “our” throughout this notice) take extreme precautions in safeguarding any non-public personal information you provide to us.
What Purpose is Served?
When you and existing clients provide personal information, we can determine and are in position to offer sound and qualified recommendations that suit your lifestyle and long-term financial objectives whether it is for personal or business reasons. This information helps us prepare tax returns, prepare investment applications, insurance applications, provide tax advice etc. We provide this financial service to individuals from all walks of life, whether they are at the outset of building their assets or have acquired a high net worth and need investment advice. We strive to help individuals reach their ultimate financial goals in an organized, professional manner.
What do We Collect?
We collect non-public information that is required at inception of the engagement to update our know your client form and on any application forms that are required by law or by the regulatory system, whether it is received in writing or electronically for the purposes of providing and servicing your financial, tax and insurance product needs. Depending upon the product requirement, this may include the following:
- name, home address, home phone number
- dependants
- social insurance number
- marital status
- sex
- date of birth
- citizenship status
- occupation
- income
- net worth
- beneficiary
- bank account
- identification (i.e. Driver’s License or Passport No.)
- investment selection
- credit information*
- demographic
- health information
* Required if you sign up for certain account options that involve transmission of money between your bank account and your mutual fund or insurance account.
Why We Collect this Information and What it is Used For.
Your personal information is necessary to meet the regulatory and contractual requirements relating to the institutions that administer and service the financial and/or insurance products you request. Your particulars will confirm your identity and determine your eligibility, as well as, your credit worthiness for the product and services you apply for. We also collect personal information to prepare tax returns.
How Our Privacy Policy Serves to Protect You
We may at times use the services of a mailing company, marketing company or website location, that may require non-financial information to assist us in our business requirements. At this time, we will ensure that the outside companies with whom we do business are under contractual obligations to protect the confidentiality of your information and to use it only to provide the services we have asked them to perform.
We do not sell non-public personal information of individuals as we guard and respect your privacy.
We also email tax returns to clients for signature. When we email tax returns, the tax returns will have a password.
Third Party Collection and Transfer of Personal Information
The following clarification is intended to dissipate any ambiguities and bring you comfort in knowing that your personal non-public information is necessary as it intertwines with you and any business that is transacted by or through us and the third party. We may share only the required non-public personal information, only as permitted by law.
A few examples of when it may be necessary and who may be the recipient of this non-public disclosure are listed below. However, it may not cover every situation permitted under the law.
- Financial institutions, including Trustees of your account or insurance companies associated with your financial and/or insurance product. This information is gathered at the time you would request and apply for an investment or insurance product. A List of Providers, which is updated from time to time, is given to you at inception. These providers may share your personal information only as required by law. However, they may also use your personal information to keep you informed about your account, or their products and services.
- A party that may be representing you, such as your Power of Attorney under your signed authority, or to other third parties at your direction and/or consent.
- On forms relating to government requirements which would include your social insurance number and other related information or in response to other legal process, where permitted by law, or regulatory requirements, that have been submitted to our office for processing.
Your Consent
You may request and we will provide personal information to you regarding the status of your account(s). In addition, we will provide marketing material about our products and services or the financial institutions’ and their associated products and service information in our mail outs from time to time. You also consent to receive your tax return(s) by email. In this regard, if you wish to withdraw consent, from receiving such product and service information, from us, please refer to the section, headed “Who to Contact”.
Withdrawal of Your Consent
If you wish to withdraw consent to your personal information being collected, used and disclosed for the purposes as listed above with regard to the preparation of tax returns, associated financial institutions, insurance companies, please contact our head office or telephone or write to the companies directly and inform them of your wish to withdraw consent.
However, you should be aware of the fact that in some circumstances, legal requirements may prevent you from withholding or withdrawing consent for the collection of personal information. In this same regard, if you restrict the usage and disclosure of your non-public personal information, you may also inhibit your right to receive some of the important products and services they and we provide to you currently, and will continue to do so in the future, that is necessary for the provision of that product or service.
Confidentiality and Security
As outlined in the foregoing, we retain and require your personal non-public information at our head office, for your benefit and needs, and as required by law, and for regulatory purposes within our electronic system, which is used for current and historical record keeping. We also retain the physical copy for a specific timeframe, as required by law, depending upon the service we provide. Certain related information is accessible by those who are responsible and are identified as our financial advisors and staff who adhere to our regulatory requirements and our strict confidentiality, safety and guiding principle in association with your personal privacy.
Our Privacy Policy Changes
We may make amendments to this Privacy Policy without notice as may be required by the current legislation of the law, regulatory requirements or internal management practices. We will assume your acceptance of these changes should this occur and will provide an updated copy upon request. Please refer to this Privacy Policy from time to time to ensure your understanding of its contents, when you are providing personal changes to your existing information.
Who to Contact
To update or correct your personal information or privacy-related details, or if you had a particular issue that needed an explanation in regard to our Privacy Policy, please contact us personally at the following address:
Privacy Compliance Officer,
Tax Doctors Canada: 647 478 5560
