Privacy Policy

Bernard Tierney & Company, Accountants & Consultants, is based at 14 Orchardville Gardens, Belfast BT10 0JX. You can contact us about your personal information at info@bernardtierney.co.uk or 028 9061 8498. This notice explains how we use information from website visitors, people who enquire about our services, and clients.

Information we collect

If you contact us, we receive your name, email address, optional telephone number, the service you select and the information you put in your message. When we work with you, we may also need contact details, financial and tax records, and information about your business. For anti-money laundering checks, we may collect identity and address details and, where relevant, information about company owners and people who control a business.

Most of this information comes directly from you or your authorised representative. We may also check public company records and receive information from the identity-checking service described below.

Our website also handles limited technical information needed to operate and protect it. The enquiry form temporarily uses an obscured value derived from the visitor’s IP address to limit repeated submissions. The form sends the enquiry by email and does not save the message in the WordPress database. Hosting and email systems may keep their own technical logs.

Why we use your information

We use enquiry details to answer your questions and discuss a possible engagement. We use client information to provide agreed accounts, tax and related services, communicate about work, and meet our legal and professional record-keeping obligations. We use identity and ownership information to carry out anti-money laundering and customer due diligence checks.

The relevant UK GDPR lawful basis depends on the purpose: steps you ask us to take before a contract or performance of a contract for services; legal obligation for required tax and anti-money laundering duties; and legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and protecting the website. We assess the appropriate basis for each activity.

Electronic identity checks and sharing

Where an electronic identity check is appropriate, we use TaxCalc’s AML Identity Checking Service, which uses Equifax data. TaxCalc states that this identity check does not affect your credit rating. We will explain the information required for the check. Please do not send identity documents through the website contact form.

We may share relevant information with TaxCalc and its identity-checking provider Equifax, our website and email hosting provider, and public authorities such as HMRC where required for our work or by law. If a service involves Companies House filings, relevant information may be submitted to Companies House. We do not sell your personal information. Access by other service providers must be covered by appropriate arrangements.

How long we keep information

We keep enquiries only for as long as needed to answer them and manage any follow-up, according to our record-retention schedule. We keep client accounting and tax records for the periods required for the relevant work and legal obligations. Anti-money laundering customer due diligence records are normally retained for five years after the end of the business relationship, subject to applicable legal requirements and exceptions. We then delete or securely dispose of information when no longer required.

Cookies and website operation

WordPress may use essential cookies for site administrators who log in. The contact form does not require a marketing cookie. If optional analytics, advertising or other non-essential cookies are added, their use and any consent choices should be explained before they are used.

Your rights

You can ask us for access to your personal information, correction of inaccurate details and, where applicable, erasure, restriction, objection or transfer of information. These rights depend on the circumstances and may be limited where we must retain records by law. Contact us using the details above. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we handle your information.

Updates

We may update this notice when our services or data-handling arrangements change. The version on this page will be the current website notice once it has been reviewed and published.