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This Privacy Notice explains how Hock Tax Services (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when you engage us for tax preparation, cross‑border tax, and related services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where relevant.

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact us at:

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Hock Tax Services
Email: info@hocktaxservices.com
Phone: (239) 235-2560
Address: 13842 Cleto Drive, FL 33928 USA

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1. What personal data we collect

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We collect and process the following categories of personal data about you:

• Contact and identification information: Name, address, email, phone number, date of birth, government identification numbers (e.g., SSN, ITIN, passport number, tax ID numbers of other countries).

• Financial and tax information: Income, assets, liabilities, bank and brokerage account details, foreign financial accounts, foreign entity interests, digital asset holdings, tax returns, supporting documents, and any other information needed to prepare your tax returns and related filings (e.g., FBAR, FATCA, foreign tax credit forms, treaty positions).

• Business and employment information: Business ownership, entity structures, payroll details, compensation, and related records.

• Other information: Any additional personal data you provide to us in connection with our services (e.g., family members’ details for filing status, beneficiary information, etc.).

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2. How we collect your data

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We obtain your personal data:

• Directly from you when you provide information to us (e.g., via engagement letters, tax organizers, emails, client portal, phone calls, or in person).

• From third parties where necessary and permitted (e.g., from your other advisors, financial institutions, or government agencies, if you authorize us to receive information from them).

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3. Why we process your data (purpose and legal basis)

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We process your personal data for the following purposes:

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Purpose                                                                                                          Legal Basis under GDPR

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Providing tax preparation and cross-border tax services       Performance of a contract with you (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR)

(e.g., preparing U.S. federal, state, and related information

returns, FBAR, and foreign asset reporting)

 

Complying with legal and regulatory obligations                       Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR)

(e.g., tax reporting, recordkeeping, anti-money laundering

rules, FATCA, and other cross-border reporting)

 

Managing our client relationship                                                       Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)

(e.g., invoicing, communications, recordkeeping)

 

Protecting our legal rights                                                                   Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)

(e.g., in disputes, audits, or regulatory proceedings)

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We do not use your data for automated decision‑making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

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4. Who we share your data with

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We may share your personal data with:

• Service providers who assist us in delivering our services, including:

  • Tax and accounting software providers (e.g., TaxDome, Drake, QuickBooks, etc.).

  • Document storage and client portal providers.

  • IT and cybersecurity vendors.

• Government and regulatory authorities as required by law (e.g., IRS, state tax authorities, FinCEN, and other tax or financial regulators).

• Other professionals (e.g., attorneys, financial advisors, auditors) if you instruct us to coordinate with them.

• Affiliates or successor entities in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of our practice.

All service providers are contractually required to protect your data and only process it on our instructions.

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5. International transfers of your data

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Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United States. Where required by GDPR, we ensure that such transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, such as:

• Transfers to countries deemed to provide an adequate level of protection by the European Commission.

• Use of Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

• Other legally recognized mechanisms for international data transfers.

We use TaxDome as our primary client portal and document storage system; TaxDome is GDPR‑compliant and transfers of EU personal data to the U.S. are protected by SCCs. You may request a copy of the specific safeguards we use for transfers to the U.S. by contacting us at the details above.

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6. How long we keep your data

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We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this notice, including:

• To perform our services and comply with legal and professional obligations (e.g., tax law recordkeeping requirements).

• To defend our legal rights in case of disputes or audits.

For most clients, we retain records for 10 years from the end of the engagement, in line with our professional recordkeeping obligations and our use of TaxDome. After this period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymized, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

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7. Your data protection rights (for EU/UK residents)

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If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the UK, you have the following rights under GDPR/UK GDPR:

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

• Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.

• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”): In certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.

• Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations.

• Right to data portability: You can request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine‑readable format.

• Right to object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests, direct marketing, or certain other grounds.

• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time (though this will not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@hocktaxservices.com. We will respond to your request within one month, as required by law.

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8. How we protect your data

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We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest.

• Secure client portals and access controls (e.g., strong passwords, multi‑factor authentication).

• Regular security assessments and staff training.

• Confidentiality agreements with employees and service providers.

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9. Changes to this notice

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We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The latest version will always be available on our website at www.hocktaxservices.com/privacy-policy.

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10. How to contact us and the supervisory authority

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If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how we handle your personal data, please contact:

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​Hock Tax Services

Email: info@hocktaxservices.com

Phone: (239) 235-2560

Address: 13842 Cleto Drive, FL 33928 USA

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If you are in the EEA or UK and believe we have not handled your data in accordance with GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (e.g., the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK, or your national supervisory authority in the EEA).