Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy
Effective from: Jan 1st, 2025

At Switched On Bookkeeping Solutions, we are committed to safeguarding your personal information. We understand the importance of privacy and are bound by the principles outlined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), subject to applicable exemptions. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal information, including how we collect, store, use and disclose it in connection with the services we provide.

This policy is reviewed regularly and may be updated to reflect legal, technological, or operational changes.

1. Who We Are

Switched On Bookkeeping Solutions is a professional bookkeeping and Registered BAS Agent service provider. Your privacy is important to us, and this policy outlines how we manage your personal data responsibly and transparently.

2. What is Personal Information?

Under the Privacy Act, personal information refers to information or opinions that can reasonably identify an individual. This may include your:

• Name
• Contact details (e.g., email, phone number, address)
• Date of birth
• Occupation or job title
• Financial details (e.g., bank account information)
• Tax File Number (TFN) or Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Any information required to provide our bookkeeping or BAS agent services

3. What We Collect

The types of personal information we may collect include:

• Your name, address, phone number and email
• Business or company information
• Tax and payroll information
• Payment and transaction data
• Communications between you and our team
• Documents submitted via our website, email or accounting software
• Employee information for payroll processing (if applicable)

We may also collect usage information from cookies when you visit our website (see section 6 below).

4. How We Collect Your Information

We collect your personal data directly when you:

• Engage our services or make an enquiry
• Send us documents by email, cloud storage or online software
• Visit or use our website
• Communicate with us by phone, SMS or in writing
• Participate in a survey, promotion, or consultation

We may also receive information from third parties you’ve authorised, such as your accountant, ATO, or cloud-based accounting platforms.

5. Why We Collect, Use and Disclose Your Information

We collect personal information for purposes including:

• Delivering bookkeeping, BAS, and compliance services
• Responding to your enquiries
• Managing our internal operations
• Meeting regulatory and tax obligations
• Processing payments and payroll
• Communicating updates, changes, or new services
• Verifying your identity and records
• Enhancing our services and user experience

We do not sell or rent your information. Disclosure occurs only where required or authorised by law or with your consent.

6. Website Analytics and Cookies

Our website may use cookies to improve functionality, gather statistics, and enhance user experience. Cookies are small files stored on your browser that help us:

• Recognise returning visitors
• Track website usage and preferences
• Monitor traffic and site performance

You can choose to disable cookies via your browser settings, although this may affect your experience on our site. IP addresses and non-identifiable usage data may also be logged for analytic purposes.

7. If We Can’t Collect Your Information

If you choose not to provide personal information:

• We may not be able to deliver some or all of our services
• We may not be able to respond to your requests effectively
• You may miss out on important updates or features

8. Disclosure of Personal Information
We may disclose your personal information to:

• Employees and authorised contractors
• Professional advisers (e.g., accountants, legal consultants)
• Technology service providers (e.g., cloud storage, accounting software)
• Regulatory bodies such as the ATO
• Any party you have authorised us to communicate with

In some cases, these third parties may be located overseas (see section 10).

9. Direct Marketing

We may occasionally contact you with information about services we believe may be of interest. These communications will comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

You may opt out at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in marketing emails or contacting us directly.

We do not provide your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes without your consent.

10. Overseas Disclosure

We may disclose personal information to trusted service providers operating outside Australia, such as:

• Cloud-based accounting or storage providers
• Software support or development teams

Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure these recipients adhere to Australian privacy standards or comparable protections.

11. Security of Personal Information

We are committed to protecting your information from misuse, interference, and loss. Measures include:

• Secure servers and firewalls
• Password-protected systems
• Encryption of sensitive data
• Staff training and access controls

If you suspect unauthorised access or loss of your personal data, please notify us immediately.

12. Access and Correction

You can request access to, or correction of, your personal information by contacting us. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

If we cannot provide access (e.g., for legal reasons), we will explain why. If you believe the information, we hold is incorrect, we will take reasonable steps to update or annotate it.

13. Complaints

If you believe we have breached your privacy, please contact us. We take privacy concerns seriously and will investigate your complaint thoroughly and confidentially.

If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

14. External Links

Our website may contain links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.

15. Changes to This Policy

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

16. Contact Us

For all privacy-related enquiries, corrections or complaints, please contact: