PRIVACY POLICY

1. About NGM Accounts

NGM Accounts is a sole trader business, providing bookkeeping and administration services to small businesses in the United Kingdom.

Contact details: https://www.ngmaccounts.co.uk

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration number ZB958006.

We are a member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) and we operate in accordance with its professional standards, regulations and code of conduct.

2. What this notice covers

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal data when you use our services or visit our website.

3. The information we collect

We may collect and process the following personal data:

  • Contact details (name, email address, telephone number and business address)

  • Business information (such as trading name and trading activity)

  • HMRC and Tax identifiers (such as National Insurance number, Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and VAT number where applicable)

  • Identity verification information where required for anti money laundering (AML) purposes, including date of birth and copies of identification documents such as passport or driving licence

  • Financial and bookkeeping data processed through Xero, including income, expenses and bank transaction data

  • HMRC related information where required for compliance and reporting purposes

  • Website enquiry information submitted via email or contact forms

4. How we use your information

We use your personal data to:

  • Provide bookkeeping services using Xero and general business administration services, including maintaining financial records and processing transactions

  • Set up and manage our professional relationship with you

  • Carry out anti money laundering (AML) and identity verification checks where required, including verification of identity documents

  • Meet legal and regulatory obligations, including HMRC reporting requirements

  • Comply with our professional obligations as a member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB)

  • Issue invoices and manage payment matters

  • Respond to enquiries, complaints or legal matters

  • Contact you about additional services where you have given consent

5. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data under the following lawful bases:

  • To take steps prior to entering into a contract at your request

  • Contract: to deliver agreed bookkeeping services

  • Legal obligation: to comply with HMRC requirements and anti money laundering (AML) regulations

  • Legitimate interests: to operate and manage my business

  • Consent: where specific consent is required, such as marketing

If you do not provide the personal data we request, we may be unable to provide services or may need to cease acting for you.

6. How your data is stored and protected

Your data is stored securely using:

  • Xero accounting software

  • Secure email and cloud based systems

  • Password protected devices and accounts

  • Some cloud-based systems may process or store data outside the UK or EEA, with appropriate UK GDPR safeguards in place.

Appropriate technical and organisational measures are used to protect your data from loss, misuse or unauthorised access.

7. Sharing your information

We may share your data with:

  • HMRC and other regulatory bodies where required by law

  • Xero, as the accounting software provider used to process and store financial data

  • Professional advisers (such as accountants or legal advisers) and IT service providers who support my bookkeeping software, systems and business operations

  • Subcontractors or third parties engaged to support the delivery of services

  • Third parties or professional bodies involved in anti money laundering (AML) compliance checks where required

  • We do not sell your data

8. How long I keep your data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary:

  • Client bookkeeping records: up to 6 years after the end of the tax year or engagement in line with HMRC requirements

  • Enquiry contact details (name, email address and telephone number) are retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes of managing enquiries and maintaining business records, including identifying previous interactions with prospective clients. Where there has been no further interaction after 24 months, records may be deleted.

  • Enquiry business information: up to 30 days from the date of enquiry

  • AML and identity verification records: as required by law

  • After these periods, data is securely deleted

If you become a client, your data will be retained in accordance with client record retention requirements.

You are responsible for retaining your own accounting and business records for the required periods to meet your own legal obligations.

9. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you

  • Request correction of inaccurate data

  • Request deletion of your data where legally permitted

  • Object to or restrict certain processing

  • Request a copy of your data in a portable format

  • Withdraw consent at any time (where consent applies)

Requests should be made in writing to the contact details below. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

We aim to respond to all requests within one month. In complex cases, this may be extended by up to two further months and we will inform you if this is the case.

10. Website & cookies

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be automatically collected by our hosting provider as part of operating and securing the website. This may include your IP address, browser type, device information, time zone settings, pages visited, referring website and general usage data.

This information is used to ensure the website functions properly, maintain security, prevent misuse and analyse general website performance and usage trends. It does not directly identify you as an individual.

Our website uses cookies to improve functionality and analyse website usage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. If cookies are disabled, some parts of the website may not function correctly.

11. Changes to this notice

This Privacy Notice may be updated from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this website.

12. Contact and complaints

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how your data is handled, contact: HQ@NGMaccounts.co.uk

You can also contact the ICO at www.ico.org.uk for further information or to make a complaint. If you are unhappy with how your data is handled, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

Licensed & regulated by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) Practice Licence Number: 24778

PRIVACY POLICY