Privacy Policy

Data Controller

Rhys Cottam

RDC Bookkeeping and Accounting Solutions Ltd customer privacy notice

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information.

• Contact details
• What information we collect, use, and why
• Lawful bases and data protection rights
• Where we get personal information from
• How long we keep information
• Who we share information with
• How to complain

Contact details

Email

Rhys.cottam@rdcbookkeepingandaccountingsolutions.co.uk

What information we collect, use, and why

We collect or use the following information to provide and improve products and services for clients:

• Names and contact details
• Addresses
• Gender
• Occupation
• Date of birth
• Third party information (such as family members or other relevant parties)
• Payment details (including card or bank information for transfers and direct debits)
• Financial data (including income and expenditure)
• Transaction data (including details about payments to and from you and details of products and services you have purchased)
• Usage data (including information about how you interact with and use our website, products and services)
• Employment details (including salary, sick pay and length of service)
• Credit history and credit reference information
• Criminal records data (including driving or other convictions)
• Information relating to compliments or complaints
• Records of meetings and decisions
• Website user information

We collect or use the following personal information for the operation of client or customer accounts:

• Names and contact details
• Addresses
• Purchase or service history
• Account information, including registration details
• Information used for security purposes
• Technical data, including information about browser and operating systems

We collect or use the following personal information to comply with legal requirements:

• Name
• Contact information
• Identification documents
• Client account information
• Any other personal information required to comply with legal obligations
• Criminal offence data 

We collect or use the following personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims:

• Names and contact details
• Addresses
• Payment details
• Customer or client accounts and records
• Financial transaction information
• Correspondence

Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are set out in brief below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

• Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can request other information such as details about where we get personal information from and who we share personal information with. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for. Read more about the right of access.
• Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to correct or delete personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete. Read more about the right to rectification.
• Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information. Read more about the right to erasure.
• Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to limit how we can use your personal information. Read more about the right to restriction of processing.
• Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. Read more about the right to object to processing.
• Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you. Read more about the right to data portability.
• Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Read more about the right to withdraw consent.

If you make a request, we must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to provide and improve products and services for clients are:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
• Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
• Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for the operation of client or customer accounts are:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
• Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
• Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to comply with legal requirements:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
• Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
• Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims are:

• Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
• Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.

Where we get personal information from

• Directly from you
• Regulatory authorities
• Publicly available sources
• Credit reference agencies

How long we keep information

Client & Tax Data

Client onboarding records (engagement letters, ID):
7 years after end of client relationship

Personal and corporate tax returns, computations, working papers:
7 years after submission / accounting period end

VAT records:
6 years

Client correspondence containing personal data:
7 years

Complaints or disputes:
7 years after resolution

AML / KYC Records

Identity verification, risk assessments, source of funds:
5 years after the client relationship ends, unless legally required to retain longer

Prospective Clients & Marketing

Unsuccessful enquiries:
12 months

Marketing contacts:
Until consent withdrawn or 2 years of inactivity

Business & Supplier Data

Supplier and contractor records:
6 years after contract end

Firm accounting and financial records:
6 years after accounting period end

Professional indemnity insurance records:
7 years after policy expiry

4. Secure Disposal

Paper records are cross-cut shredded or securely destroyed

Electronic records are securely deleted or anonymised

Backups are deleted on a rolling backup cycle

Data destruction is logged where appropriate

5. Legal Holds

Where data is subject to an HMRC enquiry, legal dispute, or regulatory investigation, deletion is suspended until the matter is resolved.

For more information on how long we store your personal information or the criteria we use to determine this please contact us using the details provided above.

Who we share information with

Others we share personal information with

• Other financial or fraud investigation authorities
• Organisations we’re legally obliged to share personal information with

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:           

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Last updated           23/01/2025