Privacy Policy

This is the privacy statement from Acumen Accountants and Advisors Limited which explains how we collect and use personal information about our clients. 

What personal information we collect 

The type of personal information we are required to collect in order to deal with your affairs includes the following: Name, Address, Date of Birth, NIC number, Salary rate/scale etc, Details of income and expenditure and assets and liabilities.  

Where we collect personal information from 

The sources of this information will include directly from you, bank statements and publicly available information such as the land register, companies house websites etc.  

How we use your personal information 

The purpose of processing the data will be to assess your financial position and advise of your best solutions for your financial affairs. The purposes for which your personal information is processed may include any or all of the following: 

  • deliver services and meet legal responsibilities 
  • verify your identity 
  • communication with you, your business associates by post, email or telephone 
  • maintain our case records as required by legislation and our recognised professional body (ACCA)
  • process financial transactions (collect payments from you and distribute payments to your creditors) 
  • prevent and detect crime, fraud or corruption.  

Who we share your personal information with 

We will share your personal information, where required by legislation or third parties who have agreed GDPR policies in place. 

If you do not provide your personal information

If you do not provide your personal information at the outset we will not be able to provide you with advice as to your best solutions for your financial affairs.  

How long we retain your personal information for 

We are required by HMR&C and ACCA to retain our files for a period of up to 7 years after you cease being clients of Acumen Accountants & Advisors Limited. 

Holding personal information outside the EEA 

We do not hold any personal information outside the EEA.  

Your rights: 

Access to your information – You can request a copy of your personal information that we hold.

Correcting your information – We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate, complete and up to date and you may ask us to correct any errors in your personal information.

Deletion of your information – You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information where: 

  • You consider that we no longer require the information for the purposes for which it was obtained. 
  • We are using that information with your consent and you have withdrawn your consent. 
  • You have validly objected to our use of your personal information. 
  • Our use of your personal information is contrary to law or our other legal obligations. 

Objecting to how we may use your information – You have the right at any time to require us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes. In addition, where we use your personal information to perform tasks carried out in the public interest then, if you ask us to, we will stop using that personal information unless there are overriding legitimate grounds to continue.

Restricting how we may use your information – In some cases, you may ask us to restrict how we use your personal information. This right might apply, for example, where we are checking the accuracy of personal information about you that we hold or assessing the validity of any objection you have made to our use of your information. The right might also apply where this is no longer a basis for using your personal information but you don't want us to delete the data. Where this right to validly is exercised, we may only use the relevant personal information with your consent, for legal claims or where there are other public interest grounds to do so. 

Automated processing – we do not use any personal information on an automated basis 

Withdrawing consent using your information – Where we use your personal information with your consent you may withdraw that consent at any time and we will stop using your personal information for the purpose(s) for which consent was given. Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the Contact information and further advice section if you wish to exercise any of these rights.      

Changes to our privacy statement, contact information and further advice 

We regularly review this statement and will place any updates on our website. For paper copies or to discuss our policy or further advice please email enquires@acumen.info, write to Acumen Accountants and Advisors Limited, Bankhead Drive, City South Office Park, Portlethen, Aberdeen, AB12 4XX or call 01224 573904.  

Complaints 

We seek to resolve directly all complaints about how we handle personal information but you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office, whose contact details are as follows: Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF Telephone - 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 Website - https://ico.org.uk/concerns