Your Privacy Matters

Privacy Policy

Sigma Tax Accountants

Last updated: January 3, 2025

Sigma Tax Accountants ("Sigma Tax", "we", "our", or "us") was founded on principles of trust, integrity, and quality service. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our clients and website visitors and to handling personal information in a responsible and transparent way.

This Privacy Policy explains:

  • what personal information we collect
  • how and why we use and disclose it
  • how we protect it
  • your rights and choices regarding your information

By using our services or our website, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Objective & Scope

Sigma Tax provides personal, business, corporate, estate and U.S. tax preparation and related services across Canada. We follow the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other applicable privacy laws.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information that we collect:

  • when preparing and filing income tax and related returns
  • when providing accounting and advisory services
  • when you contact us, visit our offices, or use our website

It does not apply to:

  • aggregate or anonymized data that cannot be linked to an identifiable individual
  • information available from public sources (such as public directories or government databases)

This Policy applies to all Sigma Tax employees and contractors. Where third-party service providers assist us (for example, IT providers or e-file transmission partners), we require them by contract to protect personal information in a manner consistent with this Policy and with Canadian privacy law.

2. Contact for Privacy Matters

If you have questions about this Policy, or about how Sigma Tax handles your personal information, please contact:

Privacy Officer

Sigma Tax Accountants

Treviso Retail – 3079 Dufferin Street

Toronto, Ontario M6A 0C3

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 416-588-5555

3. Key Definitions

For the purposes of this Policy:

"CRA" means the Canada Revenue Agency.

"Customer" or "client" means an individual who has engaged Sigma Tax for tax, accounting, or related services.

"Personal information" means information about an identifiable individual, in any form, but does not include business contact information such as a person's business title, business address, or business phone number.

"Collection" means any act of obtaining personal information from you or from authorized third parties.

"Use" means how we handle and process personal information (for example, preparing and filing your returns).

"Disclosure" means making personal information available to a third party (for example, to CRA).

"Transfer" includes sharing or moving personal information between Sigma Tax locations, systems, or authorized service providers.

4. What We Collect

We collect only the personal information that is reasonably necessary to provide our services and meet our legal obligations. This may include:

  • Identification information (name, address, phone number, email, date of birth, SIN)
  • Tax slips and forms (T4, T5, T3, T4A, RRSP slips, etc.)
  • Financial information (income, deductions, credits, banking information for direct deposit, investment and rental information)
  • Information regarding your family situation (marital status, dependants)
  • Business, self-employment, or corporate information when applicable
  • Prior year returns, CRA notices and correspondence
  • Information we receive from CRA or other government bodies when authorized

Whenever possible, we collect personal information directly from you. When necessary and with your consent, we may obtain information from third parties such as CRA, financial institutions, employers, or plan administrators in order to complete your returns accurately.

5. How We Use Personal Information

We use your personal information primarily to:

  • prepare, review, and file your tax and information returns
  • communicate with CRA and other tax authorities on your behalf
  • provide accounting, bookkeeping, and advisory services
  • verify your identity and prevent fraud
  • respond to your questions and requests
  • maintain our records and meet legal, regulatory, and professional obligations

We may also use anonymized and aggregated data (from which individuals cannot be identified) for internal reporting, quality control, and business planning. Such data is not used to identify you.

We do not sell your personal information.

6. When We Share Personal Information

We may disclose personal information in the following situations:

  • To tax authorities such as CRA or the IRS, when required to file your returns or respond to their requests
  • Within Sigma Tax, including between our offices, for quality review, administrative purposes, and continuity of service
  • To authorized service providers (e.g., secure data hosting, transmission or software providers) who assist us in delivering our services and who are contractually obligated to protect your information
  • As required by law, court order, or regulatory authority
  • With your consent, in any other situation where you ask us or authorize us to share your information

Any third party that receives your personal information from Sigma Tax is required to safeguard it and to use it only for the purposes for which it was shared.

7. Consent

By using our services and signing the appropriate authorization and electronic filing forms, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Policy.

You may withdraw or modify your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. However, withdrawing consent may limit our ability to provide certain services (for example, we cannot file your return without certain information).

8. Accuracy

We rely on you to provide information that is complete and accurate. If you become aware that the personal information we hold about you is incorrect or incomplete, please notify us. We will update or correct our records as appropriate, subject to legal or technical constraints.

Personal information in closed files or prior-year returns is not routinely updated, but we will annotate records as needed when you advise us of changes.

9. Retention

We keep personal information only as long as necessary:

  • to prepare and file your returns
  • to respond to questions from you or from tax authorities about those returns
  • to meet our legal, regulatory, and professional record-keeping obligations

Typically, this means we retain records for up to seven (7) years after the end of the taxation year, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When records are no longer required, they are securely destroyed or anonymized.

10. Safeguards & Security

We employ physical, administrative, and technological safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including:

  • restricted access to client files and systems on a "need-to-know" basis
  • locked storage for paper records
  • secure systems, passwords, encryption, and firewalls for electronic data
  • policies that treat misuse of client information as a serious disciplinary matter

While we make every reasonable effort to protect personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. Email and internet communications may be subject to interception or loss. If you prefer not to send certain information electronically, please let us know and we will discuss alternatives.

11. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, subject to limited exceptions under law (for example, where disclosure would reveal personal information about another person).

Requests must be made in writing to our Privacy Officer (see Section 2). We may ask for identification or additional information to confirm your identity before responding.

We will respond to access requests within a reasonable time (normally within 30 days). If we are unable to provide access, we will explain why. We may charge a nominal fee for copies or mailing, which we will tell you about in advance.

If you demonstrate that your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, we will correct it where appropriate.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect legal or operational changes. When we make material changes, we will post the updated Policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date. The revised Policy will apply to personal information collected after it is posted.

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

13. Questions, Concerns, or Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about how Sigma Tax handles your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing. We will investigate all complaints and respond within a reasonable time.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or your provincial privacy regulator.

14. Our Privacy Commitments

Sigma Tax is committed to:

Complying with PIPEDA and applicable provincial privacy laws

Collecting only necessary information for identified purposes

Obtaining informed consent for collection and use

Keeping personal information accurate and up to date

Protecting information with appropriate safeguards

Meeting CRA security and software standards

Training employees on privacy obligations

Providing access to information and correction rights

Being transparent about privacy practices

Keeping this Policy available on our website