Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

We provide bookkeeping, VAT, CIS and compliance services to sole traders, contractors and construction businesses across the UK.

2. Information We Collect

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

Information you provide directly

• Contact information: Name, email address, phone number, business name
• Enquiry details: Information you provide in contact forms or emails
• Client data: Financial records, invoices, bank statements, and other documents necessary to provide our bookkeeping services
• Business information: Company registration details, VAT numbers, CIS references

Information collected automatically

• Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information
• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on site, referring website
• Cookie data: See our Cookie Policy for details

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide and manage our bookkeeping and compliance services
• To respond to your enquiries and communicate with you
• To send you information about our services (with your consent)
• To comply with legal obligations, including HMRC requirements
• To improve our website and services
• To protect against fraud and ensure the security of our services

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

5. Data Sharing

We may share your personal information with:

• HMRC: As required for VAT returns, CIS submissions, and other tax compliance
• Software providers: Including Xero (our accounting software) and Supabase (our secure database provider)
• Professional advisers: Such as accountants or solicitors, where necessary
• Legal authorities: Where required by law or to protect our legal rights

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including:

• Client records: 7 years from the end of the financial year, as required by HMRC
• Contact enquiries: 2 years from the date of your last interaction
• Website analytics: 26 months (anonymised data)

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Right to restrict processing: Request limitation of how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@hivisbooks.co.uk.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS)
• Secure cloud storage with access controls
• Regular security assessments
• Staff training on data protection

9. International Transfers

Your data is primarily stored and processed within the UK and European Economic Area. Where we use service providers outside these regions, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the UK ICO.

10. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first at hello@hivisbooks.co.uk.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.