Privacy Policy

At Santi Accounting, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This privacy policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you visit our website, use our mobile app, or engage our services.

www.santiaccounting.com.au is a website operated by Santi Group Pty Ltd ABN 37652623428 (we, us and our).

We provide accounting, tax and advisory services and are registered tax agents. As such, we comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth), including the Code of Professional Conduct issued by the Tax Practitioners Board.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected from our website (including via contact forms, cookies, Google Analytics, and Meta Pixel), our mobile app (if applicable), and any in-person, phone, email or digital interaction. It also explains your rights and our obligations in handling your personal information.

By using our website or services, you consent to us collecting, holding, using and disclosing your personal information in accordance with this policy.

What is personal information?

The collection, use and disclosure of personal information is governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). As registered tax agents, we are also bound by the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and the Code of Professional Conduct administered by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), which imposes strict obligations to maintain the confidentiality and security of client information.

Personal information is any information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who can be reasonably identified from the information or opinion. Information or an opinion may be personal information regardless of whether it is true.

We are legally required to keep your personal information confidential and only use or disclose it where permitted by law or with your consent.

What personal information do we collect and hold?

We may collect personal information from you when you engage with our services or visit our website. This may include:

(a) your name, email address, phone number and residential or business address;

(b) your Tax File Number (TFN), Australian Business Number (ABN) or Australian Company Number (ACN);

(d) accounting records, invoices, receipts, or other tax-related documentation; and

(e) any other personal or sensitive information you choose to provide.

We collect this information to provide you with our accounting, tax and advisory services, and to comply with our legal obligations as registered tax agents under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth).

We also collect usage data when you visit our website or use our digital services. This may include:

(a) details of how you accessed and used the website (such as pages visited and referring links);

(b) technical data such as IP address, device type, operating system, browser version, and language settings

We use tools such as Google Analytics and Meta Pixel to help us understand website traffic and user behaviour. These tools may collect anonymised information for statistical and advertising purposes. We configure them in accordance with privacy best practices and limit tracking to what is reasonably necessary

We use cookies on our website to enhance functionality, improve user experience, and support analytics. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device that enables the website to recognise your browser across sessions.

We may use:

(a) Persistent cookies, which remain on your device after you close your browser and help speed up future visits; and

(b) Session cookies, which expire once your browsing session ends and assist in displaying information appropriately during your visit.

These tools may collect technical data such as your browser type, IP address, device attributes, and usage behaviour. While this data is generally non-identifiable on its own, we treat all cookie-derived data in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and our obligations as a registered tax agent under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and the TPB Code of Professional Conduct.

You may refuse or manage cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit the full functionality of our website. We disclose our use of cookies in this policy to meet our transparency obligations under Australian Privacy Principle (APPs) 1, and we configure tracking tools with data minimisation in mind as required under Australian Privacy Principle (APPs) 3.

Why do we collect, hold and use your personal information?

We collect, hold and use your personal information so that we can:

(a) provide you with our accounting, tax and advisory services, and manage our relationship with you;

(b) comply with our obligations as registered tax agents under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and other applicable laws, including to lodge documents, prepare tax returns, or respond to regulatory requests;

(c) comply with requests or legal obligations imposed by government regulators, such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), or other authorised bodies;

(d) contact you, for example, to respond to your queries or complaints, provide updates on your affairs, or if we need to tell you something important;

(e) developing and growing our business and services (such as identifying client needs and improvements in service delivery);

(f) maintaining, administering and managing our website and systems and applications;

(g) comply with our legal obligations and assist government and law enforcement agencies or regulators; or

(h) identify and tell you about other products or services that we think may be of interest to you.

We handle your personal information in accordance with the obligations set out in the Code of Professional Conduct issued by the Tax Practitioners Board, including our duty to act lawfully, in your best interests, and with the necessary competence when providing tax agent services. In line with Code Item 4 of the TPB Code, we are committed to ensuring that the handling of your information supports the competent and professional delivery of our services.

If you do not provide us with your personal information, we may not be able to provide you with our services, communicate with you or respond to your enquiries.

How do we collect your personal information?

We will collect your personal information directly from you whenever you interact with us, including when you:

(a) complete our website contact form, send us an email or message, call us, or meet us in person;

(b) fill out client intake forms or questionnaires (either online or in hard copy);

(d) provide information during consultations, phone calls, or email correspondence;

(e) authorise another professional (such as your accountant, lawyer or financial adviser) to share information with us.

We may collect information from third parties that you have authorised or that are integrated into your services with us. These may include:

(a) your professional advisers (e.g. solicitors, financial planners or bankers);

(b) integrated cloud accounting platforms (e.g. Xero, MYOB, BGL, QuickBooks);

(d) third-party service providers or referrers who you have consented to share your information with us; (e) [list any third party you receive personal information from].

We do not collect personal information about you via social media or any hidden methods. The only website tracking we use is disclosed in this policy (e.g. cookies, Google Analytics, Meta Pixel), and this is limited to the minimum required for analytics and service optimisation, in line with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) 3 and our legal obligations as registered tax agents.

How do we store and hold personal information?

The security of your personal information is extremely important to us. As a registered tax agent, we are required under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and the Code of Professional Conduct administered by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) to ensure that client information is kept secure and confidential at all times. To prevent any unauthorised access or disclosure, we have implemented appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial security measures. These procedures aim to safeguard and secure personal information, protecting it from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure.

These measures include (but are not limited to):

(a) encrypted cloud-based accounting and document storage systems (e.g. Xero, MYOB, Dropbox, Google Drive);

(b) password protection and multi-factor authentication for systems that store client data;

(d) staff training in privacy and confidentiality practices;

(e) limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis; and

(f) locked offices or cabinets for any physical records.

Please note that we cannot guarantee the security of any information transmitted to or from us over the internet. The transmission and exchange of information is at your own risk. While we take reasonable precautions to prevent unauthorised disclosures, we cannot provide absolute assurance that the personal information we collect will never be disclosed in a manner inconsistent with this Privacy Policy.

Who do we disclose your personal information to, and why?

We will never sell, rent or disclose your personal information to third parties without your consent, it is necessary to deliver our services to you; or unless required by law or permitted by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) or Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth). We may share your personal information with:

(a) our employees, contractors, and professional advisers who require the information to perform their duties; our business partners and affiliates involved in supporting or delivering our services;

(b) our trusted third-party service providers who assist us in providing our services to you, such as payment processors, shipping providers, debt collectors, marketing agencies or website hosting providers; and

(c) government or regulatory authorities, including the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), or courts and tribunals, where required to comply with legal obligations or to act on your behalf.

As required under the Code of Professional Conduct (Code item 6) in the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth), we must not disclose any information relating to a client’s affairs to a third party without the client’s permission or unless we are legally required to do so.

If the ownership or control of all or part of our business changes, we may transfer your personal information to the new owner subject to the same privacy protections. We may also disclose your personal information to courts, tribunals and regulatory authorities, if:

(a) you fail to pay for services we have provided to you;

(b) in connection with any actual or prospective legal proceedings;

(d) as required by law.

Do we disclose personal information to overseas recipients?

In limited circumstances, we may disclose your personal information to overseas recipients.

Some of the third-party service providers we use (such as cloud storage platforms, accounting software, analytics services or email marketing tools) may store, access, or process personal data on servers located outside Australia. This may include providers such as Google, Dropbox, Meta, or Xero, depending on the services we use to support our business operations.

Where overseas disclosure is necessary, we take reasonable steps to ensure that your information is protected in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This may include reviewing the recipient’s privacy policies, ensuring they have appropriate security safeguards, or entering into contractual arrangements that require compliance with Australian privacy standards.

Under Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) 8, we remain accountable for your personal information, even when it is handled by an overseas provider. In accordance with our obligations under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and the TPB Code of Professional Conduct, we take confidentiality seriously and will not disclose your information overseas unless:

(a) the recipient is subject to privacy laws that are substantially similar to those in Australia;

(b) you have given informed consent; or

If we become aware in advance that your data will be disclosed to a particular country, we will let you know where reasonably practical.

Do we use your personal information for marketing?

We will only use your personal information for direct marketing where permitted under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) 7. You can opt out of receiving marketing messages at any time by:

(a) using the unsubscribe link in our emails, or

(b) contacting us using the details provided in this policy.

We do not use sensitive information (such as health, tax file, or financial data) for marketing purposes under any circumstances.

As registered tax agents, we are also bound by the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and the TPB Code of Professional Conduct, which require us to handle your personal information with strict confidentiality and only use it in ways that are lawful and directly related to our professional services.

Access to and correction of your personal information

You have the right to access and correct any personal information we hold about you, in accordance with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) 12 and 13.

To make a request, please contact us using the details provided in this policy. We may ask you to verify your identity before granting access or making changes.

We will:

(a) respond within a reasonable timeframe (usually within 30 days);

(b) provide access free of charge, unless your request requires a significant administrative effort (e.g. photocopying large volumes); and

If we are unable to give you access, or if we decline to make a correction, we will explain the reasons in writing and let you know your options.

We are also bound by the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and the TPB Code of Professional Conduct, which require us to maintain accurate and secure records, and to treat your information with strict confidentiality.

In accordance with Code Item 7 of the TPB Code of Professional Conduct, we take reasonable care to ensure that the tax agent services we provide are based on accurate and complete information provided by our clients.

Data Retention

We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

As registered tax agents, we are also subject to additional recordkeeping obligations under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth) and the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) Code of Professional Conduct. These obligations may require us to retain

certain information for a minimum statutory period required by law. .If you no longer wish for us to retain your personal information, you may request its deletion by contacting us using the contact details provided in this Privacy Policy. However, please note that

(a) we may be legally required to retain some records, even after you request deletion (e.g. for auditing, compliance, dispute resolution, or fraud prevention); and

(b) we will only retain your data for as long as necessary to meet our professional obligations and legal requirements.

In the event of a change in our data retention practices that may affect your personal information, we will provide you with notice of such change in accordance with applicable laws and regulations

Contact details

If you have any questions, comments, requests or concerns, please contact us at:

Santi Group Pty Ltd ABN 37652623428

Email: admin@santiaccounting.com.au

Last updated: 4 August 2025

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. We encourage you to review this privacy policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your personal information.

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy or how we use your personal information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help!