Compliance, Legal & Privacy

The information contained and accessed on this site (the “Site”) is provided by ALLIED ASSOCIATES LLP, CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS (hereinafter referred to as ALLIED), as owner of the Site, for general guidance and is intended to offer the user general information of interest. The information provided is not intended to replace or serve as substitute for any accounting, tax or other professional advice, consultation or service. You should consult with an ALLIED professional in the respective accounting, tax or other professional area.

Based on the fundamental universal condition of the electronic communication process, ALLIED does not guarantee or warrant the Site will be uninterrupted, without delay, error-free, omission-free, or free of viruses. Therefore, the information is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including accuracy, timeliness and completeness. In no event shall ALLIED, its shareholders, related entities, managing directors, principals, agents or employees be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, consequential or other damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to, liability for loss of use, data or profits), without regard to the form of any action, including but not limited to contract, negligence or other tortuous actions, arising out of or in connection with the Site, any content on or accessed by use of the Site, or any copying, display or other use hereof.

As content on the Site is copyrighted, any unauthorized use of any materials on the Site may violate copyright, trademark and other laws. Should a user download the materials on the Site for personal or non-commercial use, the user must retain all copyright, trademark or other similar notices contained in the original materials on any copies of the material. Materials on the Site may not be modified, reproduced or publicly displayed, performed or distributed or used for any public or commercial purposes.

Third Party Links are provided as a convenience to our users. ALLIED does not control, makes no representation with respect to, and is not responsible for any of these sites or their content. ALLIED is obligated to protect its reputation and trademarks and ALLIED reserves the right to request removal of any link to our web site.

Explicit permission is required to use the ALLIED logos. To request this written approval, send an E-mail under contact us.

The following web link activities are explicitly prohibited by ALLIED and may present trademark and copyright infringement issues:

• Links that involve unauthorized use of our logo
• Framing, inline links or metatags
• Hyperlinks or a form of link that disguises the URL and bypass the homepage

For further statements and representations regarding the information provided on this site, please review the “Privacy Statement.”

 

ALLIED Online Privacy Statement

ALLIED believes that the responsible use of personal information collected on its Web site is critical to its business objectives and reputation. As part of our commitment to privacy, we have adopted this Online Privacy Statement.

The extent and type of information we receive from you on our external Web site depends on the information you provide to us through our contact mailboxes and/or through the registration processes on our site.

We only use your personally identifiable information to respond to your requests and to provide you with information about ALLIED’S services, unless we obtain your permission to use your personal information for other purposes. For example, if you send us an e-mail message requesting information about ALLIED, we will use your e-mail address and other information you supply to respond to your request. If we intend to use your personal information to inform you about other ALLIED services, we will notify you and give you an opportunity to decline to receive such communications. If you send us a resume to apply online for a position with ALLIED, we will use the information provided to match you with available opportunities.

Our Web site may invite you to register and provide information about yourself. We use the information you provide to personalize your online experience and to deliver the content most suited to your needs. Such Web site may provide an opportunity for you to update your registration information should you no longer wish to receive information from us.

In addition, “cookies” (i.e. small text files placed on your computer when you first visit the site) may be used on our Web site. Most browsers now recognize when a cookie is offered and permit you to refuse or accept it. If you are not sure whether your browser has this capability, you should check with the software manufacturer, your company’s technology help desk or your Internet service provider.

Cookies are primarily used to enhance your online experience and are not used to track the navigational habits of identified visitors, unless we obtain your permission to do so. If you visit our site to read or download information, such as news stories or articles, much of the information we do collect is statistical only (e.g., the domain from which you access the Internet, the date and time you access our site, and the Internet address of the Web site from which you linked directly to our site) and not personally identifiable. We use this information about the number of visitors and their use of the site in aggregate form to make our site more useful and attractive to you.

The personal information you provide to us will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the information was collected or as required by law. We do not share personal information with third parties except as necessary to carry out our business or as required by law or other legal processes, and we never sell your personal information. Furthermore, personal data collected by ALLIED may be transferred to other member firms of ALLIED where it is necessary to meet the purpose for which you have submitted the information.

In addition, ALLIED has technological and operational security policies and procedures in place to protect your personally identifiable information from loss, misuse, alteration or unintentional destruction. Our personnel who have access to the data have been trained to maintain the confidentiality of such information.

ALLIED understands the importance of protecting children’s privacy, especially in an online environment. Our site is not intentionally designed for or directed at children under the age of 13 years. It is our policy never to knowingly collect or maintain information about anyone under the age of 13.

ALLIED recognizes its responsibility for protecting the online privacy of your personal information. If you have questions or comments about our administration of your personal information, please contact us. You may also use this address to communicate any concerns you may have regarding compliance with our Online Privacy Policy.

Privacy Principles

A word about your privacy

We respect and protect your privacy. The private information you share with us stays with us. However, we do provide or collect your personal information as is required by legislation to those to whom you have authorized us to release information. This would include various departments within Canada Revenue Agency, financial institutions or legal professionals you have asked us to deal with on your behalf.

If you have privacy questions or concerns regarding your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer by mail at: 1490 Richmond Street, Suite 200, London, ON  N6G 0J4.

Introduction

ALLIED is committed to keeping personal information accurate, confidential, secure and private. The ALLIED Privacy Principles are an embodiment of our commitment and apply to ALLIED Chartered Accountants.

These Principles are based on the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). They describe how ALLIED subscribes to the principles of PIPEDA. A copy of the PIPEDA is available at www.privcom.gc.ca.

These Principles describe how ALLIED will protect the privacy of personal information in its possession or control. The Principles do not apply to information about clients who carry on business as corporations, partnerships, or other forms of association. ALLIED does, however, protect the confidentiality of such information in accordance with the law and ALLIED’s own privacy policies. The Principles do apply to information about clients carrying on business as sole proprietorships.

Changes to our Privacy Principles

In order to keep our Principles up to date, we reserve the right to change them from time to time. Any changes will be effective 30 days following ALLIED providing you with notice. Notice of changes to our Privacy Principles may be distributed through client mailings, newsletters and/or posted on our web site.

Accountability

ALLIED is accountable for all personal information in its possession or control, including any personal information transferred to third parties for processing. We have established policies and procedures to comply with PIPEDA and have designated one or more persons accountable for compliance.

Senior management will have ultimate accountability for protecting personal information. They have delegated the day-to-day management of procedures involving personal information to one or more persons.

ALLIED’S Privacy Officer is responsible for overall personal information protection and compliance with PIPEDA. Each of our employees, partners, and contractors is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of all personal information to which they have access. Our employees are trained to know and respect our Privacy Principles and compliance with our Principles and procedures for protecting personal information is a condition of their employment.

The ALLIED has established procedures to protect the privacy of personal information; has established procedures to receive and respond to questions and complaints; gives public access to these Privacy Principles; and has trained ALLIED’s staff to understand and follow ALLIED’s procedures.

Purposes of collecting information

ALLIED believes that the responsible use of personal information collected is critical to its business objectives and reputation. We will identify the purposes of collecting personal information before or when consent is provided. It is the individual’s right to refuse permission for ALLIED to use personal information for any such other purpose.

Personal information collected will be used to help identify new clients; determine the suitability of services for an individual or the eligibility of an individual for services; set up and manage services that meet the individual client’s needs; provide on-going services; and meet legal and regulatory requirements. ALLIED will be diligent in explaining purposes which are not as obvious as others.

Obtaining consent

ALLIED will obtain consent before or when it collects, uses or discloses personal information, and will make a reasonable effort to explain to individuals in plain language how personal information will be used or disclosed. We may collect, use or disclose personal information without the individual’s knowledge and consent, only in limited circumstances as permitted by law.

Subject to certain legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice, an individual may refuse or withdraw consent at any time. Refusing or withdrawing consent for ALLIED to collect, use or disclose personal information could mean that ALLIED cannot provide the client with a service of value to the individual.

Limiting collection

ALLIED will collect personal information only for the purposes it has identified to the individual or as permitted by law using fair and lawful procedures.

This collection will be limited to the minimum amount of information required for delivering a service or product as authorized under this Act or other regulatory Acts.

Limiting use, disclosure & retention

ALLIED will use or disclose personal information only for the reasons it was collected, unless consent is given to use or disclose it for another reason. We may disclose personal information without consent when required or permitted by law.

Examples of such disclosures could include court or government orders, debt collection or demands from other parties who have a legal right to personal information, disclosure to legal representatives of ALLIED. In any of these circumstances however, ALLIED will protect the interests of its clients by making sure that any requests for disclosure comply with the laws under which they were issued.

ALLIED will destroy, erase or make anonymous any personal information no longer needed for identifying purposes or no longer required by law or legislative requirements.

Maintaining accurate information

ALLIED will make reasonable efforts to keep personal information in its possession and control accurate and current if the information is used on an on-going basis. We will rely on individuals to keep certain personal information relating to them accurate, complete and current. If an individual demonstrates that personal information relating to them is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or irrelevant, we will revise or delete the personal information.

Safeguarding personal information

ALLIED will safeguard personal information in its possession or control from loss or theft and from unauthorized access, disclosure, duplication use or modification. The safeguards we employ to protect personal information will vary depending on the sensitivity, amount, format and storage of the personal information. Most personal information collected is stored electronically, and in recent paper records stored in client files. These files remain on site in our London head office and are only removed from the premises when client appointments are required to provide a service.

On site security measures will include physical security, such as secure locks on filing cabinets, file rooms and restricted access; organizational security such as controlled clearance for building access, and controlled and limited access to relevant information; and electronic security such as passwords, personal identification numbers and encryption.

ALLIED will inform employees regularly about our policies and procedures for protecting personal information and will emphasize the importance of complying with them. As a condition of employment, employees will be required to conform to our personal information policies and procedures. Personnel who have access to your personal information have been trained to maintain the confidentiality of such information. We will use care when disposing of or destroying personal information in order to prevent unauthorized access to information.

Openness

ALLIED will be open about the procedures used to manage personal information. By publishing these Principles, individuals have access to information about procedures used to maintain and protect their personal information. These Privacy Principles are available in paper format and on our web site at www.alliedassociates.ca. We may make information about our procedures available in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of the services individuals are using and the sensitivity of the personal information.

For information pertaining to privacy on line, please refer to our web site for the ALLIED Online Privacy Statement.

Individual access

An individual has the right to know, on request, what personal information about the individual ALLIED has in its possession or control, what the information is being used for, and to whom it has been disclosed. We have established procedures for responding to requests for access to personal information. Individuals must be specific about the personal information that may be in our possession or control.

In some cases, ALLIED may not provide access to personal information that is in its possession or control. This may occur when providing access to personal information would be likely to reveal personal information about a third party; disclosing the information would reveal confidential commercial information; the personal information is protected by solicitor-client privilege; and/or the information is the result of arbitration or other formal dispute resolution process. We will not record in individual files when personal information was disclosed to third parties for routine purposes, such as reporting to Canada Revenue Agency.

Recourse

Individuals may challenge ALLIED’s compliance with these Privacy Principles if they feel there has been a misuse of their personal information. We have policies and procedures in place to receive, investigate and respond to individuals’ complaints and questions relating to privacy. Individuals are advised to direct their complaints in writing to the Privacy Officer.

ALLIED will investigate all complaints and respond within 30 days of receipt of the complaint. If it finds a complaint is justified, we will attempt to resolve it. If necessary, we will modify our principles and procedures to ensure that other individuals will not experience the same problem.

If individuals are not satisfied with the way ALLIED has responded to their complaint regarding their personal information, they should contact: The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 112 Kent Street, Ottawa, ON  K1A 1H3 or call toll free 1-800-282-1376.

Accessible Customer Service Plan

Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities

Allied Associates LLP and Allied Accounting & Tax Services Limited (hereinafter referred to as ALLIED) are committed to excellence in serving all clients including people with disabilities. We will use reasonable effort to ensure that our policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the core principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity.

Assistive devices

We will ensure staff is trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by clients with disabilities while accessing our goods or services. Our London Head office is wheelchair accessible.

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.

Service animals

We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on the parts of our premises that are open to the public.

Support persons

A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises.

Notice of temporary disruption

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for clients with disabilities at our offices in London or Peterborough, ALLIED will notify clients promptly. This clearly posted notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time, and a description of alternative facilities, if available.

The notice will be placed at 1490 Richmond Street, Suite 201, London, Ontario and 133 Hunter Street East, Peterborough Ontario.

Training for staff

ALLIED will provide training to employees who deal with the public or other third parties on their behalf. This training will be provided to staff within 90 days of hiring.

Training will include:

• An overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard
• ALLIED’s accessible customer service plan.
• How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities
• How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing ALLIED’s goods and services.

Staff will also be trained when changes are made to our accessible customer service plan.

Feedback process

Clients who wish to provide feedback on the way ALLIED provide goods and services to people with disabilities can contact us by mail, telephone or e-mail as outlined below.

Allied Associates LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants
1490 Richmond Street, Suite 200
London, ON N6G 0J4

Tel: (519) 673-1940
Toll Free: 1 (800) 661-1956
Fax: (519) 673-5906
E-mail: info@alliedassociates.ca

All feedback should be directed to Wayne Ryan, CEO. Clients can expect to receive a response within 10 days. Complaints will be addressed according to our organization’s regular complaint management procedures.

Modifications to this or other policies

Any policy of ALLIED that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.