Sharma Jyoti & Co ("we", "us", "our") is an ICAI-registered Chartered Accountant firm based in India, operating the website jsoutsourcedbookkeeping.com. We provide outsourced bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliation, virtual CFO, and tax preparation services to businesses in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and India.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and your rights in relation to that information. By engaging our services or using this website, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.
1. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
- Contact information — name, email address, phone number, business name, and country, submitted via our contact or enquiry form.
- Financial and accounting data — accounting software login credentials (provided under a written engagement agreement), bank statements, invoices, payroll records, tax documents, and other financial records necessary to deliver our bookkeeping services.
- Business information — ABN, ACN, or equivalent business registration numbers; entity type; industry; and other details needed to complete your work accurately.
- Communications — emails, messages, and any other correspondence you send us during the engagement.
Information collected automatically
- Usage data — pages visited, time on site, referring URL, browser type, and device type, collected via Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, and Microsoft Clarity.
- Cookies — analytics and session cookies set by the above tools. No advertising or third-party tracking cookies are used.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To deliver the bookkeeping, accounting, and financial services you have engaged us to provide.
- To communicate with you about your engagement — queries, deliverables, reports, and updates.
- To send quotes, invoices, and engagement documentation.
- To improve our website and services based on aggregated, anonymised usage data.
- To comply with our legal and professional obligations as an ICAI-registered firm.
We do not use your financial data for any purpose other than delivering the services you have engaged us for. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal or financial data with any third party for marketing purposes.
3. International Data Transfers
Sharma Jyoti & Co is based in India. When you engage our services, your financial and personal data is transferred to and processed in India. We are aware of our obligations under international privacy frameworks and take the following steps to protect your data:
- Australian clients: We comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Before any engagement begins, we enter into a written data processing agreement that satisfies the requirements of APP 8 (cross-border disclosure of personal information).
- UK and European clients: We enter into Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as required under UK GDPR and EU GDPR for transfers of personal data to third countries.
- US clients: We comply with applicable US state privacy laws including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) where applicable.
- Canadian clients: We comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.
In all cases, a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and Data Processing Agreement are executed before any financial data is accessed or processed.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell or share your personal or financial information with third parties, except in the following limited circumstances:
- Within our team: Members of our accounting team who need access to your data to deliver the agreed services. All team members operate under strict confidentiality obligations.
- Your nominated representatives: Your local accountant, CPA, Tax Agent, or BAS Agent as instructed by you in writing.
- Accounting software platforms: We work inside your existing accounting software (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, etc.) — we do not transfer your data to any other platform without your instruction.
- Legal requirements: Where disclosure is required by applicable law, court order, or regulatory authority.
5. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal and financial information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Our measures include:
- All data access is via your cloud accounting software (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks) — we do not download or store your financial data on local devices.
- Accounting software access is granted through official accountant-invite features, not shared passwords where avoidable.
- Communications containing sensitive information are sent via encrypted channels.
- All team members are bound by written confidentiality and NDA obligations.
- Access credentials are managed with role-based restrictions and reviewed regularly.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we implement commercially reasonable security practices, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal and financial data for as long as your engagement is active and for a reasonable period thereafter to comply with our legal and professional obligations. For Australian clients, this aligns with the ATO's minimum record-keeping requirement of five years. For UK clients, we follow HMRC's six-year retention standard. At the conclusion of the retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal information:
- Access — the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction — the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion — the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations.
- Portability — the right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format (where applicable under GDPR or UK GDPR).
- Objection / Restriction — the right to object to or restrict certain processing of your personal data.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hellosharmajyotiandco@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Cookies and Analytics
This website uses the following analytics tools, each of which may set cookies in your browser:
- Google Analytics 4 — collects anonymised usage data (pages visited, session duration, device type). Data is processed by Google LLC in accordance with their Privacy Policy.
- Google Tag Manager — manages the loading of analytics scripts. Does not itself collect personal data.
- Microsoft Clarity — records anonymised session behaviour (scroll maps, click maps) to help us improve the website. No personal data is stored by Clarity.
You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.
9. Third-Party Links
This website may contain links to third-party websites (for example, accounting software providers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date at the top of this page will reflect the date of the most recent update. Continued use of our website or services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:
For Australian clients with unresolved privacy concerns, you may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au. For UK clients, you may contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.