Privacy Policy

At Clear Start Accountants, we prioritise your privacy and the protection of your personal information. We encourage you to review our Privacy Policy for full details.

Who We Are

Clear Start Accountants are committed to safeguarding the privacy of all visitors who interact with us via our website, www.clearstartaccountants.co.uk, by phone, text message, or email.

Privacy Policy Overview

We are dedicated to protecting your personal information and operate in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) effective from May 2018. As a registered organisation with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), we aim for transparency in our data handling practices.

Please review this privacy policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect the information you provide. Clear Start Accountants Ltd reserves the right to update this policy, and changes will be posted on our website. Regularly reviewing the policy ensures you remain informed about how your information is managed.

By registering on our site, you consent to the collection, use, and transfer of your data as outlined in this policy.

How We May Contact You

Unless you opt out, Clear Start Accountants Ltd and our trusted third-party partners (including Insolvency Practitioners) may contact you via:

  • Telephone
  • Email
  • Post
  • SMS
  • Automated messages
  • Fax
  • WhatsApp

For any concerns or to modify your contact preferences, please get in touch with us.

How do you contact us

If you contact us by telephone using the numbers provided on our website or in marketing correspondence, your call may be recorded for training, quality, and regulatory purposes. Similarly, if you contact us via email, webchat, WhatsApp, or post, the information you provide may be securely stored for the same purposes.

Information We Collect From You

Clear Start Accountants may collect personal information from you through its website, mobile applications, or other similar platforms operated by or on behalf of the brand. When accessing services on www.clearstartaccountants.co.uk, you may be required to provide personal details such as your name, contact information, email address, and telephone number. Additionally, during your use of the website, data may be stored regarding your interaction with the site, such as the pages you visit and the source of your visit. Information may also be gathered from communications you post on the website or from emails and letters you send to us.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any information, content, material, or data you provide on the website is accurate, complete, and not misleading, and that all relevant facts are disclosed.

If you provide personal information about another individual, you must first ensure they have read this privacy policy. By submitting another person’s details, you confirm that you have obtained their consent to share their information with us and that they are aware of how their information will be used.

What data do we collect?

  • Personal identification information, including but not limited to your name, address, and phone number.
  • Financial details, such as information about your income and expenditure.

What do we collect your data?

The majority of data collected by Clear Start Accountants is provided directly by you. This includes instances where:

  • You communicate with a member of our staff.
  • You enter personal information into our online portal.
  • You interact with our website, where data is gathered through the use of browser cookies.

This process ensures that the information collected is relevant and essential for the services we provide.

How we use your data?

Clear Start Accountants utilises your data for the following purposes:

  • To manage and maintain your account.
  • To contact you via email or telephone regarding additional products and services that may interest you.

We will only collect and process your personal information if you have provided your consent. For instance, we will send marketing emails or process sensitive information about you solely with your explicit consent.

Legitimate Interests

In some cases, we may process your personal information where we have legitimate business grounds to do so. These purposes include:

  • Verifying your identity and delivering accountancy services.
  • Extracting certain data to generate statistics for internal purposes, such as credit or behavioural scoring and market analysis.
  • Detecting, preventing, and investigating actual or potential fraud and related activities.
  • Developing, managing, and marketing products and services tailored to your needs and contacting you about services you may find valuable.
  • Determining your eligibility for various products and services.
  • Responding to your enquiries.
  • Updating and improving our website to better align with user requirements.
Your Right to Object

You have the right to object to our use of your personal information for these legitimate interests, including instances where your data is used to create profiles for customer demographic analysis. If you object, we will cease processing your personal information unless exceptional circumstances apply, in which case we will inform you of the reasons for continuing.

If you wish to exercise your right to object, please contact our Compliance Team at [email protected].

Disclosure of Your Information

The information you provide will be stored on our systems and may be shared with third parties or staff to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy or those approved by you. Third parties process data and provide support services on our behalf. We may also share aggregate, non-identifiable usage data with third parties.

Your information may be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA), where we will ensure it is protected in compliance with GDPR standards. Third-party partners will also follow their own privacy policies, which we recommend reviewing.

If Clear Start Accountants enters a joint venture, merges, or is sold, your data may be shared with new partners or owners. Additionally, we may share your data with regulatory bodies like ICAEW for compliance monitoring.

With your consent, we may share your information with partner companies to offer products or services. We will not share, sell, or distribute your data without your consent unless legally required.

How Long Do We Store Your Data?

The duration for which we retain your data depends on the purpose for which it was provided. Examples include:

  • If you request not to be contacted for advertising or marketing, we will retain your information to reflect your preferences.
  • Transaction-related data is retained for a minimum of six years after the end of our relationship. This ensures we can address any disputes or complaints.
  • Data required to provide services will be kept for the duration necessary to deliver those services.
  • We may retain your information for legitimate business needs or to comply with legal obligations.

We implement robust security measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, unlawful processing, accidental loss, or damage. While we strive to safeguard your information, we cannot guarantee complete security for data shared online. By using our website and not indicating otherwise, you consent to the handling of your data as outlined above, acknowledging the inherent risks of online data sharing. Clear Start Accountants is not liable for any breach of security unless caused by our negligence or wilful misconduct.

What rights do you have over your data

Clear Start Accountants is committed to ensuring you are fully aware of your data protection rights. These rights include:

  • Right of Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data. While most requests are free of charge, a reasonable fee may apply if the request is excessive.
  • Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any inaccurate information or complete any incomplete information about you.
  • Right to Erasure:You can request that we erase your personal data under certain conditions.
  • Right to Restrict Processing:You can request that we limit the processing of your personal data in specific circumstances.
  • Right to Object to Processing:You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
  • Right to Data Portability: You can request that we transfer the data we hold about you to another organisation or directly to you, under specific conditions.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We will respond to your request within one month.

Email: [email protected].

Postal Address:Clear Start Accountants, Universal Square, Devonshire Street North, Manchester, M12 6JH

Disclosure of Information

Your information may be shared with third parties for processing, regulatory compliance, or as otherwise required by law. We ensure all transfers comply with GDPR regulations. If our business is sold or merged, your information may be transferred to the new owners or partners.

Marketing

Clear Start Accountants may send you information about our products and services, as well as those offered by third-party companies, if we believe they may interest you. If you have agreed to receive marketing communications, you can opt out at any time.

You have the right to stop Clear Start Accountants from contacting you for marketing purposes or sharing your data with partner companies.

If you no longer wish to receive marketing communications, please contact a customer service agent and request that the marketing preferences box on your account be unticked.

How We Use Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of information stored on your computer. Unless you object when providing your details, our system will place cookies on your device when you access our website. These cookies enhance your experience by making it easier to log in and use the site on subsequent visits. They also help us monitor website traffic and personalise content for you.

You can configure your browser to reject cookies. However, this may limit your ability to use certain features of our website.

If you wish to stop receiving cookies in the future, please contact us, and we will assist you with your preferences.

  • A minimum of six years for transaction-related data, as required by law
  • As long as necessary to provide services or resolve disputes
  • For legitimate business needs, where relevant

Types of Cookies We Use

Our website utilises the following types of cookies to enhance your browsing experience:

  • Functionality Cookies: These cookies enable us to recognise you when you return to our website and remember your preferences, such as your selected location. They may involve a combination of first-party and third-party cookies.
  • Advertising Cookies: These cookies collect information about your visit to our website, including the pages you viewed, links you followed, and details about your browser, device, and IP address. This information helps us tailor advertising content to your interests.

You can reject cookies via your browser settings, but some website features may not function properly.

Privacy Policies of Other Websites

Our website may include links to external websites. Please note that our privacy policy applies solely to our website. If you click on a link to another website, we encourage you to review the privacy policy of that site to understand how your data will be handled.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We keep our privacy policy under regular review and will place any updates on our web page. This privacy policy was last updated on 1st Jan 2025

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions about Clear Start Accountants’ privacy policy, the data we hold on you, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please feel free to contact us:

Email: [email protected].

Phone: 0161 518 6795.

Postal Address : Clear Start Accountants,
Universal Square, Devonshire Street North,
Manchester, M12 6JH

Should you wish to report a complaint or if you feel that we have not addressed your concerns in a satisfactory manner, you may want to contact the Information Commissioners office

Email: [email protected].

Address: Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House Water Lane
Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5AF