Privacy Policy

Introduction

Majoka Accounting Ltd. is a bookkeeping company built around remote work and cloud accounting. Because our services involve handling financial records, payroll data, and tax-related documents, privacy is not a side consideration for us, it's part of the core service we deliver. This policy sets out, in plain language, what information passes through our hands, why we need it, and what we do to keep it safe.

We have offices in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India, and our client-facing bookkeeping services are focused on small businesses and professionals in Canada and the United States. Wherever information is handled, whether by a bookkeeper reviewing your bank feed or a system syncing data between QuickBooks Online and our internal tools, the same privacy standards described here apply.

Our Commitment to Privacy

We treat client financial information the way we would want our own handled: with discretion, a clear purpose for every use, and no unnecessary sharing. Bookkeeping only works if clients trust us with sensitive numbers, so protecting that information is central to how we operate, not an afterthought bolted onto our services.

Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to information we collect through our website, through onboarding forms, through direct communication with our team, and through the cloud accounting platforms we use to deliver bookkeeping services. It applies to current clients, prospective clients requesting a quote, and visitors browsing our website. It does not apply to third-party platforms you use independently of us, such as your bank's own website, which are governed by their own privacy policies.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

This includes your name, business title, email address, phone number, and mailing address, typically collected when you request a quote, sign an engagement letter, or contact our team with a question.

Business Information

We collect details about your business structure, such as your legal business name, business number or registration details, industry, and the accounting software you already use, so we can scope and deliver bookkeeping services correctly.

Financial Information

To perform bookkeeping, we work with bank and credit card transaction data, invoices, receipts, and general ledger detail, typically accessed through a connected bank feed or uploaded documents rather than collected as a one-time form submission.

Payroll Information

Where payroll support is part of your engagement, we may handle employee names, pay rates, hours worked, and remittance details necessary to process payroll accurately. We do not use payroll data collected on your behalf for any purpose beyond delivering the agreed service.

Tax Information

For clients receiving GST/HST filing support, we work with the sales tax figures, filing periods, and business registration numbers needed to prepare and submit filings accurately.

Website Usage Data

When you browse our website, we may automatically collect information such as pages viewed, time spent on the site, and the general path visitors take through our content, which helps us understand what information people are looking for.

Technical Information

This includes IP address, browser type, device type, and operating system, collected automatically as part of standard web server logging and analytics.

Cookies

Our website uses small text files called cookies to remember preferences and understand how the site is used. Full detail on the categories of cookies we use appears later in this policy.

Analytics

We use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to understand aggregate visitor behavior on our website. This data is generally reported in aggregate and is not used to identify individual visitors personally.

Marketing Preferences

If you opt in to receive updates from us, we record your contact details and your consent choice so we can respect your preference and allow you to unsubscribe at any time.

How Information Is Collected

We collect information directly from you through onboarding questionnaires, engagement letters, emails, and phone calls. We also collect information indirectly through connected software integrations, such as bank feeds linked to QuickBooks Online or Xero, and automatically through website analytics tools when you visit our site.

How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to deliver bookkeeping, payroll support, and GST/HST filing assistance; to reconcile accounts and prepare financial reports; to bill clients accurately; to respond to questions; to maintain the security of client files; and to improve our website and service offering based on how visitors actually use our content. We do not use client financial data to build advertising profiles, and we do not sell client information to data brokers.

In practice, this means a transaction that arrives through your connected bank feed is used to reconcile your books and appear in your monthly report, and nothing more. We do not repurpose bookkeeping data for internal research projects, and we do not aggregate client financial figures for marketing case studies without first asking permission and removing anything that could identify your business.

Where we use information for internal purposes, such as reviewing which of our service pages clients found most useful before signing on, we work with aggregated or de-identified data wherever practical, so decisions about our website and service lineup don't depend on any one client's specific figures.

Legal Basis for Processing

Consent

Where you have given clear consent, such as opting in to a newsletter, we process that information on the basis of that consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Contractual Obligations

Most financial and business information we process is necessary to fulfill our engagement letter or services agreement with you. Without this information, we cannot perform bookkeeping, payroll, or filing services.

Legal Compliance

In some cases, we process or retain information to meet our own legal and professional recordkeeping obligations, such as retaining financial records for a period required under Canadian tax law.

Legitimate Interests

We may process limited information, such as website analytics, based on our legitimate interest in understanding how our services are found and used, provided this interest does not override your own privacy rights.

Information Sharing

Service Providers

We share information with trusted service providers who support our operations, such as cloud accounting software vendors, document storage providers, and payment processors, strictly to the extent needed for them to perform their function for us. We review these providers with client confidentiality in mind before adopting them, rather than adding new tools to our workflow without considering what data they would touch.

Government Authorities

We may disclose information to government bodies such as the Canada Revenue Agency or the Internal Revenue Service where required to complete a filing on your behalf, or where compelled by valid legal process. Outside of filings you've asked us to prepare, we do not proactively share client financial data with government authorities.

Professional Advisors

With your direction, we share reports and reconciled records with your CPA, tax preparer, or lawyer, so your professional advisors have accurate figures to work from. We only make this kind of disclosure once you've told us who should receive it; we don't assume authorization based on a mention in passing.

Third-Party Software

Cloud Accounting Platforms

We rely on established cloud accounting platforms to deliver bookkeeping services efficiently. These platforms maintain their own security infrastructure and their own privacy policies, which govern how they process data on their servers.

QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online, provided by Intuit Inc., is one of the primary platforms we use to record and reconcile client transactions. Data entered into QuickBooks Online is subject to Intuit's own privacy and security practices in addition to ours.

Xero

Xero, provided by Xero Limited, is used in the same way for clients who prefer it, and is likewise subject to Xero's own privacy and data-handling practices.

Depending on your engagement, we may also use supporting tools such as Dext or Hubdoc for receipt capture and document management, and Wave for clients using that platform, each of which has its own privacy terms that apply alongside ours.

Payment Providers

Invoice payments are processed through third-party payment providers. We do not store full payment card numbers on our own systems; that information is handled directly by the payment processor.

Communication Platforms

We may communicate with clients through email or secure messaging platforms agreed upon during onboarding. These platforms have their own security measures that operate in addition to our internal practices.

Data Security

Encryption

Financial data transmitted through the cloud accounting platforms we use is encrypted in transit, consistent with standard practice for reputable accounting software. Where our own internal systems store client documents, such as PDFs of engagement letters or supporting records, we favor storage providers that encrypt data at rest as well, rather than relying on transit encryption alone.

Access Controls

Access to client files is limited to team members who need it to deliver your specific services, and we use role-based permissions in client software wherever the platform supports it, rather than defaulting to full administrative access. When a team member's role on your file changes, or when someone leaves our firm, access to your records is revoked as part of our standard offboarding process rather than left active indefinitely.

Employee Confidentiality

Everyone on our team who handles client financial data is bound by confidentiality obligations as a condition of working with us, regardless of which of our offices they are based in. This applies equally to bookkeepers, administrative staff, and anyone who might touch client records as part of onboarding or billing, not only to the person assigned as your primary bookkeeper.

Multi-Factor Authentication

We encourage, and where possible require, multi-factor authentication on accounts used to access client bookkeeping data, adding a second layer of protection beyond a password alone. We recommend the same for any software you use to grant us access, since a shared file is only as secure as its weakest login.

Security Monitoring

We periodically review access logs and account activity connected to client files to identify anything unusual, and we work with the security features built into the cloud platforms we use rather than relying on a single point of protection. If we notice activity that looks inconsistent with normal use of your file, we will reach out to confirm it was authorized before assuming the worst, but also before assuming everything is fine.

Data Retention

Record Retention Periods

We generally retain client financial records for the period required under applicable Canadian recordkeeping rules, and longer where a client engagement or legal requirement calls for it. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the jurisdiction involved. Payroll records, for instance, are often subject to longer retention expectations than routine correspondence, and we size our retention schedule to the more conservative requirement rather than the shortest one that might technically apply.

Secure Disposal

When records are no longer required, we dispose of or delete them securely, whether that means permanently deleting digital files or removing access from cloud platforms in a controlled manner. We do not simply archive old client files indefinitely out of convenience; disposal happens on a defined schedule tied to the retention period for that type of record.

Cross-Border Data Transfers

International Clients

Because we operate across multiple countries, information may be accessed or processed in a location different from where you are based. We take reasonable steps to ensure that wherever your data is handled, whether by our Canadian, UAE, Pakistan, Australia, UK, or India office, the same confidentiality and security standards apply.

If you are a client based in Canada or the United States, most of your day-to-day interaction will be with team members serving your specific market, though back-office bookkeeping tasks may be supported by colleagues in one of our other offices. This cross-border structure is a normal part of how we deliver cost-effective, responsive service, and it does not change the confidentiality commitments described in this policy.

Canada Privacy Rights

Clients in Canada have rights under applicable federal and provincial privacy law, including the right to know what personal information we hold, to request corrections, and to withdraw consent for optional uses such as marketing communications, subject to our own legal and contractual recordkeeping obligations.

United States Privacy Rights

Clients in the United States may have rights under applicable state privacy laws depending on where they are located, generally including the right to know what information is collected and how it is used.

California Privacy Rights

California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act and related California law, including the right to know, the right to delete, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information as defined under California law.

Consumer Rights

Right to Access

You may request a summary of the personal and business information we hold about you, subject to verification of your identity. For most clients, this information is already visible directly within your connected QuickBooks Online or Xero account, but you're welcome to ask us for a plain-language summary of what we hold outside that platform as well, such as onboarding notes or engagement correspondence.

Right to Correct

If information we hold about you is inaccurate or outdated, you can ask us to correct it, and we will update our records once the correction is confirmed. This is particularly relevant for details like business addresses, banking information, or payroll records, where an outdated entry could affect a filing or report.

Right to Delete

You may request deletion of personal information we hold, though we may need to retain certain financial records for a period required by law or by our own professional obligations, even after a deletion request. Where deletion isn't immediately possible for a specific record, we will explain why and let you know when it will become eligible for disposal.

Right to Restrict Processing

In some circumstances, you may ask us to limit how we use your information while a question about its accuracy or handling is resolved.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on consent, such as marketing emails, you can withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

Cookies Policy

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for our website to function correctly, such as remembering session information as you navigate between pages.

Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand aggregate visitor behavior, such as which pages are most viewed, so we can improve our website content over time.

Functional Cookies

These cookies remember preferences you set on our site, such as language or region, to make your next visit smoother.

Marketing Cookies

Where used, these cookies help us understand the effectiveness of our own marketing efforts. We do not use marketing cookies to build third-party advertising profiles from client financial data.

Cookie Preferences

You can adjust your cookie preferences through the cookie banner presented on our website, or at any time by updating your browser settings.

Browser Controls

Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their settings menu. Please note that blocking essential cookies may affect how parts of our website function.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand website traffic patterns. Google's own privacy practices govern how this data is processed on their servers, and you can opt out of Google Analytics tracking using tools Google provides for that purpose.

Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for businesses and professionals, not children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18, and our website is not directed at children.

Third-Party Websites

External Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, such as QuickBooks Online or Xero, for your convenience. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites, and we encourage you to review their own privacy policies before sharing information with them.

Automated Decision Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on clients without human involvement. Bookkeeping decisions affecting your financial records are reviewed by our team rather than generated solely by automated systems.

Artificial Intelligence Usage

Where we use software features that incorporate artificial intelligence, such as receipt-scanning or transaction-categorization tools built into platforms like Dext or QuickBooks Online, these tools support our bookkeepers rather than replace their judgment. A person on our team reviews the output before it becomes part of your financial records.

Data Breach Response

In the event of a data breach affecting client information, we will investigate promptly, take steps to contain the issue, and notify affected clients and relevant authorities where required by applicable law, without unreasonable delay.

Privacy Officer

Majoka Accounting Ltd. has designated a Privacy Officer responsible for overseeing our privacy practices and responding to privacy-related questions or requests. Contact details are provided below.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise any of the rights described above, please reach out to our Privacy Officer using the contact details listed on our Contact page. We aim to respond to privacy inquiries within a reasonable timeframe.

Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, the software we use, or applicable privacy law. Material changes will be reflected on this page with a revised effective date.

Effective Date

This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated as part of our ongoing commitment to transparent, current privacy practices, and applies to all interactions with Majoka Accounting Ltd. from that date forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you protect financial information?

We limit access to client files to team members who need it, use role-based permissions in accounting software wherever possible, encourage multi-factor authentication, and rely on the built-in security of established platforms like QuickBooks Online and Xero.

Who can access my bookkeeping records?

Only team members assigned to your account, and any professional advisor you specifically direct us to share reports with, such as your CPA or tax preparer.

How long are records stored?

We generally retain financial records for the period required under applicable Canadian recordkeeping rules, and may retain them longer where a specific engagement or legal requirement applies.

Can I request deletion of my information?

Yes, though we may need to retain certain financial records for a period required by law or professional obligation even after a deletion request, which we will explain if it applies to your situation.

Do you use encrypted cloud software?

Yes. The cloud accounting platforms we use, including QuickBooks Online and Xero, encrypt data in transit as part of their standard security infrastructure.

Do you share data with advertisers?

No. We do not sell client information to data brokers or share client financial data with advertisers.

What happens if I close my account?

We retain your records for a reasonable period to meet our own professional obligations, then securely dispose of them, and can provide you an exportable copy of your data before that happens.

How can I contact your Privacy Officer?

You can reach our Privacy Officer through the contact details listed on our Contact page, and we aim to respond to privacy inquiries within a reasonable timeframe.

Do you operate in more than one country?

Yes. We have offices in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India, and our client-facing bookkeeping services focus on businesses in Canada and the United States.

Is my payroll data kept confidential?

Yes. Payroll information such as pay rates and hours worked is used only to deliver the payroll services in your engagement and is not used for any other purpose.

Do you use cookies on your website?

Yes, including essential, analytics, functional, and where applicable marketing cookies, which you can manage through our cookie banner or your browser settings.

Does Majoka Accounting Ltd. use artificial intelligence?

Some of the software we use, such as receipt-scanning tools, includes AI-assisted features, but a member of our team reviews the output before it becomes part of your financial records.

Can I see what personal information you hold about me?

Yes. You can request a summary of the personal and business information we hold, subject to identity verification.

Do you comply with Canadian privacy law?

Yes. Our privacy practices are designed with principles under Canadian federal privacy law in mind, including limiting collection to what is needed and safeguarding information appropriately.

What should I do if I suspect a data breach affecting my account?

Contact our Privacy Officer immediately so we can investigate, and we will notify you and relevant authorities where required by law if a breach affecting your information is confirmed.

Do you sell customer information to third parties?

No. We do not sell personal or financial information to third parties, including under frameworks such as the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Can I opt out of marketing emails?

Yes. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe option, and you can withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time.

Do you use Dext, Hubdoc, or Wave in addition to QuickBooks and Xero?

Depending on your engagement, we may use supporting tools like Dext or Hubdoc for receipt capture, or Wave for clients already on that platform. Each of these tools has its own privacy terms that apply alongside this policy.

Will my information be shared if I stop being a client?

No. We do not continue sharing former client information with service providers or advisors once an engagement ends, aside from retaining records as required by law until they are securely disposed of.