Privacy Policy

Crossway Associates LLC Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 18, 2025

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Crossway Associates LLC ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal and business information entrusted to us by our clients ("you," "your"). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you engage our individual and business bookkeeping and tax services. As practitioners authorized to practice before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including Enrolled Agents licensed directly by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, we adhere to the rigorous professional standards and regulations governing our practice, including those concerning client confidentiality and data security. Maintaining your trust is paramount, and we handle your information with the utmost care and in accordance with applicable laws and professional standards. 

2. Information We Collect

To provide you with comprehensive bookkeeping and tax services, we may collect the following types of information:

• Personal Information: 
  • Contact details (e.g., name, address, phone number, email address).
  • Identification information (e.g., Social Security Number (SSN), Date of Birth, driver's license information).
  • Financial information (e.g., income sources, bank account numbers and statements, investment details, expense receipts, credit card statements, loan information).
  • Tax-related information (e.g., filing status, dependent information, prior tax returns, tax identification numbers).
• Business Information: 
  • Business name, address, and contact information.
  • Employer Identification Number (EIN) or other tax identification numbers.
  • Detailed financial records (e.g., general ledgers, trial balances, financial statements, accounts payable/receivable aging).
  • Payroll data (e.g., employee names, SSNs, wages, tax withholdings).
  • Sales and expense records.
  • Information about business structure, ownership, and operations.
• Information Collected Through Third-Party Services: Information you provide or authorize us to access via platforms we use to deliver services (see Section 5).

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information through various means, including:

• Directly from you via meetings, phone calls, emails, and secure file sharing.
• Through documents you provide (e.g., bank statements, receipts, tax forms).
• Via online forms and data collection tools (e.g., Jotform).
• Through accounting and tax software platforms (e.g., QuickBooks Online, Intuit ProConnect).
• From third parties you authorize (e.g., connecting bank feeds to QuickBooks Online).

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected solely for the purposes of providing the professional services you have engaged us for, which includes, but is not limited to:

• Preparing individual and business tax returns.
• Providing bookkeeping and accounting services.
• Managing payroll processing.
• Preparing financial statements.
• Communicating with you regarding your account and our services.
• Internal record keeping, project management (e.g., using Asana), and quality control.
• Complying with legal and regulatory requirements (e.g., tax laws, professional standards including those applicable to Enrolled Agents governed by Treasury Department Circular No. 230).
• Facilitating document management and signing (e.g., using DocHub).

5. Use of Third-Party Services and Information Sharing

To efficiently and effectively deliver our services, we utilize various third-party software and platforms. Your information may be processed or stored within these systems as necessary to perform the services agreed upon. These services include, but are not limited to:

• QuickBooks Online: For bookkeeping, accounting, and financial reporting.
• Intuit ProConnect: For tax preparation and filing.
• Jotform: For secure online data collection and client intake forms.
• DocHub (or similar e-signature/PDF platforms): For document management, review, and electronic signatures.
• Asana (or similar project management tools): For internal task management and workflow related to your services (client financial data itself is typically not stored here, but task descriptions might reference client work).
• Other Services: We may utilize other secure software or cloud services required for specific tasks related to your engagement (e.g., secure file transfer portals, practice management software).

We only share your information with third parties in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: With the third-party service providers listed above (and similar essential services) strictly for the purpose of delivering the agreed-upon bookkeeping and tax services. These providers have their own privacy policies and security measures, which we encourage you to review.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law, regulation, subpoena, court order, or other governmental request.
• Your Consent: With other parties if you provide explicit consent (e.g., sharing your tax return with a mortgage lender upon your request).
• Professional Obligations: As necessary to comply with professional standards and ethics, including disclosures permitted or required under Treasury Department Circular No. 230.

We do not sell or rent your personal or business information to third parties for marketing purposes.

6. Data Security

We implement and maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include: 

• Secure storage of physical documents.
• Use of secure software and platforms with encryption capabilities.
• Access controls limiting information access to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.
• Regular review of our security practices.
• Compliance with IRS Standards: Our data security practices are designed to comply not only with general privacy principles but also with specific requirements mandated by the Internal Revenue Service for tax return preparers, including those outlined in IRS Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, regulations related to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and the duties imposed on practitioners by Treasury Department Circular No. 230.

7. Confidentiality and Enrolled Agent Standards

Strict confidentiality is maintained and protected by all officers, employees, and contractors of Crossway Associates LLC regarding all client information. All personnel are bound by confidentiality obligations as a condition of their engagement with us.

Furthermore, as practitioners authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS, our Enrolled Agents are subject to the comprehensive regulations outlined in Treasury Department Circular No. 230, "Regulations Governing Practice before the Internal Revenue Service." These regulations impose stringent duties regarding competence, diligence, and ethical conduct, including strict rules on client confidentiality. Specifically, Circular 230 prohibits Enrolled Agents from disclosing any tax return information obtained during the scope of our engagement without your express knowledge and consent, except where disclosure is explicitly authorized or required by law or court order. We treat all information you provide with the highest degree of confidentiality, consistent with these professional ethics and applicable law.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal and business information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including providing you with services, complying with our legal obligations (such as record-keeping requirements mandated by the IRS and state tax authorities), resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements. This includes retention periods necessary to comply with Circular 230 and related professional standards. After the retention period expires, information is securely destroyed or anonymized. 

9. Your Rights

You may have certain rights regarding your personal information, subject to applicable law. These may include the right to access, correct, or request the deletion of your information (subject to our legal and professional retention obligations). Please contact us using the information below to inquire about or exercise your rights. 

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or relevant laws. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website or through direct communication (e.g., email). Your continued use of our services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. 

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your information, please contact us at: 

Crossway Associates LLC

16048 Eagle Drive #1723 Mont Belvieu, Texas 77580 | 512.815.2932 | Info@CrosswayTexas.com