CPAs, like all providers of personal financial services, are now required by law to inform their clients of their policies regarding privacy of client information. CPAs have been and continue to be bound by professional standards of confidentiality that are even more stringent than those required by law. As a result, Thigpen, Jones, Seaton & Co., PC has always taken safeguards to protect client privacy and information.

Types of Information We Collect

We collect nonpublic personal information about you that is provided to us by you or obtained by us with your authorization to prepare your personal income tax returns and provide personal tax and financial planning services to you,

Parties to Whom We Disclose Information

For current and former clients, we do not disclose any nonpublic personal information obtained in the course of our practice except as required or permitted by law. Permitted disclosures include, for instance, providing information to our employees and in limited situations, to unrelated third parties who need to know that information to assist us in providing services to you. In all such situations, we stress the confidential nature of information being shared.

Protecting the Confidentiality and Security of Current and Former Clients’ Information

We retain records relating to professional services that we provide, so that we are better able to assist you with your professional needs and, in some cases, to comply with professional guidelines. In order to guard your nonpublic personal information, we maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with our professional standards.

Record Retention

Our Record Retention Policy states that all client paper documents will be retained for four years after which all paper documents will be destroyed. For all SEC bank clients, certain paper documents are retained for ten years before disposal. Certain documents will be scanned into optical storage and retained indefinitely.