Privacy Policy

In short. We collect only what we need to prepare your returns and financial statements, we use it for that purpose and for the professional obligations that come with it, we do not sell it, and we protect it. You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct it.

Scope of this policy

This policy covers personal information collected by Marcus & Co., CGA in the course of providing accounting, tax, bookkeeping, payroll and advisory services, including information collected through this website, by telephone, by fax, by email and in person. It applies to clients, prospective clients, employees of client businesses whose payroll we administer, and visitors to this website.

We handle personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian and British Columbia privacy legislation, and with the confidentiality obligations that apply to professional accounting services.

What we collect

The information we collect depends on the service. It commonly includes:

Identity and contact details — name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, marital status and dependants.
Government identifiers — Social Insurance Number, business number, GST/PST registration numbers and, where required, other tax identifiers.
Financial information — income, assets, liabilities, banking details, investment and rental records, and supporting documents such as slips and receipts.
Tax and filing information — returns, assessments, notices, correspondence with the Canada Revenue Agency and other tax authorities.
Employment and payroll information — for employees of client businesses, the details needed to calculate pay, deductions and remittances, including the TD1 forms.
Website information — see this website and cookies below.

We do not collect more than is reasonably necessary for the purpose at hand. If you are unsure whether something is needed, ask before sending it.

How information is used

Preparing income tax returns, financial statements, payroll and related filings
Filing returns and remittances with the Canada Revenue Agency and provincial authorities, with your authorization
Responding to questions, reviews and correspondence from tax authorities on your behalf
Providing bookkeeping, advisory and tax planning services you have engaged us for
Issuing invoices, recording payments and maintaining our own business records
Meeting legal, regulatory and professional record-keeping requirements
Contacting you about your file, or about a service you have asked about

We do not sell, rent or trade personal information. We do not use your information for third-party advertising.

When information may be disclosed

Personal information may be disclosed only in these circumstances:

With your consent or at your direction — for example, when we file a return or speak to a lender on your behalf.
To tax and regulatory authorities as required for the filings you have engaged us to make.
To service providers who support our practice — such as tax preparation software, secure document storage and information technology support — under confidentiality obligations and only to the extent needed to perform their function.
Where required by law — including in response to a valid subpoena, court order or lawful request from a regulator, or to meet professional reporting obligations.

By engaging Marcus & Co., CGA and providing your information, you consent to its use and disclosure for the purposes described in this policy. Where a purpose is new or unusual, we will ask for your consent separately. You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal and professional restrictions and reasonable notice; if you withdraw consent we may no longer be able to provide a service, and we will explain the consequences.

Retention and destruction

Client files are retained for the period required by professional standards and tax legislation, after which they are securely destroyed. Retention periods differ between personal and corporate files. If you would like to know the retention period that applies to your file, please ask.

How information is protected

Access is limited to those who need the information to do the work — in practice, the principal.
Physical records are kept in a locked office; electronic records are protected by password and access controls.
Confidential messages may be left on Margaret Marcus’ voice-mail, and the fax line is available 24 hours and delivers directly to her.
Documents are shared with you and with third parties only through agreed channels.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If you are concerned about sending particular records by email, contact us first and we will agree on an alternative.

Your rights and how to exercise them

You may:

Ask what personal information we hold about you, and request a copy
Ask how it has been used and to whom it has been disclosed
Request correction of information that is inaccurate or incomplete
Withdraw consent, subject to the limits described above
Ask questions or raise a concern about how your information has been handled

Requests should be made in writing to the contact below. We may need to verify your identity before responding, and we will respond within the time required by applicable privacy law. There may be limited circumstances in which we cannot provide access — for example, where the information would reveal personal information about another person — and we will explain if that applies.

This website and cookies

This website is a static informational site. It does not use cookies, it does not run analytics or advertising trackers, and it does not collect personal information about visitors. There is no contact form and no login.

If you choose to email or telephone us, the information you provide is used only to respond to your inquiry, in line with this policy. Some pages link to external websites operated by government agencies and other organizations; once you follow such a link you are subject to that site’s own privacy practices, which we do not control.

Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The current version is always the one published on this page.

Contact for privacy questions

Privacy contact — Marcus & Co., CGA
Attention: Margaret Marcus, CGA
#265, 12899 76 Avenue
Surrey, BC V3W 1E6
Telephone: 604-502-0777
Fax: 604-502-0778
Email: margaret@marcuscocga.com

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, depending on which legislation applies to your information.