Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Tax Notice Clarity, operated by [Your Company, Inc.]. Your privacy and data security are our highest priorities. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and handle your personal information when you use our service.

We understand that you're trusting us with sensitive financial documents, and we take that responsibility seriously. This policy describes our practices in plain English, so you know exactly what happens to your information.

2. Information We Collect

To provide our tax notice analysis service, we collect the following types of information:

Account Information

• Full name (to personalize your account)
• Email address (for account access and important communications)
• Password (encrypted and never stored in plain text)
• Account preferences and settings

Document Information

• Tax notices and documents you upload for analysis
• File names and upload timestamps
• Analysis results and explanations we generate
• Any notes or comments you add to your documents

Usage Information

• IP address and general location (for security and analytics)
• Device type and browser information
• Pages visited and features used
• Time spent using our service
• Error logs and performance data

Payment Information

Payment details (credit card information) are processed securely by our third-party payment processor (Stripe). We never store your complete payment information on our servers - only transaction IDs and billing status.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information only for legitimate business purposes to provide and improve our service:

• Service Delivery: To analyze your tax notices and provide plain-English explanations, deadlines, and next steps
• Account Management: To create and maintain your account, process subscriptions, and handle billing
• Communication: To send you important account updates, deadline reminders, and customer support responses
• Service Improvement: To understand how our service is used and make improvements (using anonymized data only)
• Security: To protect against fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. Document Security & Handling

Your tax documents contain highly sensitive information. Here's exactly how we protect them:

Encryption Standards

• In Transit: All uploads use TLS 1.3 encryption (the same security banks use)
• At Rest: Documents are encrypted with AES-256 encryption on our servers
• Processing: Documents are temporarily decrypted only during AI analysis, then immediately re-encrypted

Access Controls

• No human employees can access your documents without your explicit permission
• AI processing happens in isolated, secure environments
• All access is logged and monitored for security
• Documents are never used to train our AI models

User Control

• You can view, download, or delete any document at any time
• Default retention: 90 days (configurable in your account settings)
• Deleted documents are permanently removed from all our systems within 30 days
• Account deletion removes all documents immediately

5. Sharing of Information

Your information may only be shared in these limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party providers who help us deliver our service:

• Cloud Hosting: Secure servers for storing encrypted data
• Payment Processing: Stripe for handling subscriptions (they never see your documents)
• Email Services: For sending account notifications and reminders
• Analytics: Basic usage statistics (anonymized data only)

All service providers are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and are prohibited from using your data for their own purposes.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information only if required by law, such as in response to a valid court order or subpoena. We will notify you of any such requests unless prohibited by law.

6. Cookies & Tracking

We use minimal tracking to provide and improve our service:

Essential Cookies

• Authentication cookies to keep you logged in
• Security cookies to prevent fraud
• Preference cookies to remember your settings

Analytics Cookies

We may use basic analytics to understand how our service is used (such as which features are most helpful). This data is:

• Anonymized and aggregated
• Never tied to your personal information
• Used only to improve our service

What We Don't Use

• No advertising cookies or pixels
• No third-party tracking scripts
• No social media tracking
• No behavioral targeting

You can manage cookie settings through your browser preferences. Disabling cookies may affect some functionality.

7. Your Rights & Control

You have complete control over your information. Here's what you can do:

Access & Update

• View all your account information through your dashboard
• Update your name, email, and preferences anytime
• Download copies of all your documents and analysis results
• Review your account activity and login history

Delete & Control

• Delete individual documents or analysis results
• Set custom retention periods for your documents
• Export all your data in a portable format
• Delete your entire account and all associated data

All data deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. We provide clear confirmations before any deletion actions.

8. Data Security Measures

We implement multiple layers of security to protect your information:

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption: AES-256 for data at rest, TLS 1.3 for data in transit
• Access Controls: Multi-factor authentication and role-based permissions
• Network Security: Firewalls, intrusion detection, and regular security scans
• Secure Infrastructure: SOC 2 compliant hosting with 24/7 monitoring

Operational Security

• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Employee background checks and security training
• Incident response procedures and breach notification protocols
• Regular data backups with encryption

Despite our security measures, no system is 100% secure. We continuously monitor and improve our security practices.

9. Data Retention

We retain your information only as long as necessary to provide our service:

• Documents: 90 days by default (configurable in your account from 30 days to 1 year)
• Account Information: Until you delete your account
• Analysis Results: Same retention period as the related document
• Usage Data: Anonymized after 6 months, deleted after 2 years
• Payment Records: Retained for tax and accounting purposes as required by law

When you delete your account, all personal information and documents are permanently removed within 30 days.

10. Children's Privacy

Tax Notice Clarity is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will delete it immediately.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

11. International Users

Tax Notice Clarity is currently designed for users dealing with U.S. tax matters:

• Our service focuses on U.S. tax notices and regulations
• Documents are processed and stored on secure servers located in the United States
• Data transfers comply with applicable international privacy laws
• Users outside the U.S. use our service subject to U.S. privacy laws

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service features. When we make changes:

• We'll post the updated policy on this page
• We'll update the "Effective Date" at the top of the page
• For significant changes that affect how we use your information, we'll notify you by email
• Your continued use of our service after changes means you accept the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your privacy rights, or need to contact us about your personal information, please reach out:

• Email: support@[yourdomain].com
• Support Center: Contact Support
• Data Protection Officer: privacy@[yourdomain].com

We'll respond to all privacy inquiries within 7 business days.