Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy was last updated on October 31, 2023.

Introduction

The Semaphore family of companies includes Semaphore Tax (collectively referred to herein as the “Company,” “us,” or “we”). The Company owns and operates https://semaphoretax.com/ (the “Website”) and is the primary controller of personal information as defined below. “You,” “your,” and “yours” mean the visitor or user of the Website. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. Please carefully read this policy to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Website. By accessing or using this Website, you agree to this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy describes the information that we may collect when you visit the Website and how that information is collected, used, and shared. This Privacy Policy applies when you use, visit, or otherwise engage with the Website. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by us offline or through any other means, or information collected by any third parties, including through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from the Website.

This Privacy Policy works in conjunction with, and is supplemented by, our Terms of Use or Cookies Policy, the terms of each of which are expressly incorporated by reference. In the event of any conflict between this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use, the Terms of Use shall control.

Individuals Under the Age of 18

Our Website is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. No one under age 18 may provide any information to the Website. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18. If you are under 18 years of age, do not use or provide any information on this Website or through any of its features, use any of the interactive or public comment features of this Website, or provide any information about yourself to us, including your name, address, telephone number, email address, or any screen name or username you may use. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from an individual under 18 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about an individual under 18, please contact us at [email protected].

Information We Collect

We collect information from you in two ways:

• Requesting and having it provided from you; and
• Automatically as you navigate around the Website using cookies and other automatic devices (see Cookies Policy).

The terms “personal information” and “sensitive personal information” under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) mean information by which you can be identified or that could reasonably be attached to your identity or your household, such as your name, address, email address, telephone number, or other identifiers may be linked to you online.

The information we collect on the Website fall under the following CCPA and CPRA categories:

• Identifiers: In connection with the services provided by the Company, we may request your name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifiers, online identifiers, Internet Protocol (IP) address, email address, account name, social security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers.
• Customer records information: In connection with the services provided by the Company, we may request your name, signature, social security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver’s license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit or debit card number, other financial information, medical information, and health insurance information.

How We Use the Information We Collect

We may use the information collected from you for one or more of the following purposes:

• To fulfill or meet the reason for which the information is provided.
• To improve our services to you.
• As necessary or appropriate to protect rights, property, or safety of us, our clients, or others.
• To enforce or apply our Terms of Use and Cookies Policy.

As described to you when collecting your personal information or as otherwise set forth in the CCPA and CPRA.

Your California Privacy Rights

The CCPA and CPRA provide California resident-consumers with specific rights regarding how such resident-consumers’ personal information is collected, used, and shared through our Website. If you are a California resident-consumer, as that term is defined in the CCPA and/or CPRA, you possess the following rights:

Right to Access: you have a right to request access to information on how your information is collected, used, and shared, and to have access to the information.

            This right allows you to request information concerning:

• The categories of information we collect;
• Where the information we collect comes from;
• Why we collect the information; and
• Any specific information that we have collected about you.

Right to Deletion: you have the right to request that collected information be deleted.

There are situations where we will be unable to grant a deletion request, including but not limited to:

• When the information is necessary to complete the service for which you provided the information;
• Detecting security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity; and
• To comply with a legal obligation.

Right to Notice: you have a right to know what information will be collected, how it will be used, and how you can opt out of the collection, usage, or sharing of your information.

Right to Consent: you have the right to tell us not to share your personal information with third parties.

Right to Non-discrimination: You have the right to not be discriminated against if you exercise your other rights. If you exercise your rights, unless permitted by the CCPA we will not:

• Deny you use of our services.
• Provide you a different level or quality of service.

Right to Correct: the right to correct inaccurate personal information the Company has collected.

Right to Limit Use: you have the right to request the Company to limit of use of sensitive personal information only to provide requested goods or services.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise your right to access, correct, limit use, or deletion, you can email us at [email protected] at any time with the subject line “Personal Information Request.” Please note that you may only make a personal information request twice in any specific, 12-month period. You can also contact us using one of the methods specific below. Only you or somebody authorized to act on your behalf may make such a personal information request, and you must include sufficient information so that we can verify your identity and the information we have collected about you. We will respond within 45 days of receiving your personal information request.

If you would like more information on how we use your personal information or if you would like to “opt out” of certain uses of that personal information, please review our Cookies Policy or contact us at [email protected] with the subject line “Privacy Request”.

Retention of Your Personal Data

We retain your personal information if it is necessary to provide our services and products to you and fulfill the purposes outlined in our privacy notice, subject to any legal obligations that may require a longer retention period. Personal information associated with your data will be kept until it is no longer necessary to provide our services and/or products or you ask us to delete them (subject to any legal obligations that may require a longer retention period).

The criteria used to determine our retention periods for each category include:

• The length of time we have a continuing relationship with you and provide the services and products you requested
• Whether there is a legal obligation to which we are subject (for example, specific laws require us to keep records of your transactions for a certain period before we can delete them)
• Whether retention is advisable considering our legal position (such as for statutes of limitations, litigation, or regulatory investigations)

Personal information about you that is no longer necessary to provide our products or services may be deidentified and aggregated with other non-personal information to provide insights, such as statistics on the use of our services and/or products. This information will be de-identified from your name and additional personally identifiable information.

Do Not Track

We also may use certain technologies to collect information about your online activities over time and across third-party websites or other online services (behavioral tracking). California law requires the Website to inform you how we respond to web browser Do Not Track (“DNT”) signals. Because there currently is not an industry or legal standard for recognizing or honoring DNT signals, we do not respond to them at this time. We await the result of work by the privacy community and industry to determine when such a response is appropriate and what form it should take. For more information on how to opt out of third-party consumer tracking performed through cookies, please review the section with the heading “How to Disable Cookies” in our Cookies Policy.

Data Security

We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. All information you provide to us is stored on our secure servers behind firewalls. Data in transit to or from the Website are intended to be encrypted and authenticated using Transport Layer Security technology. Data at rest with the Company is encrypted and federated according to industry standards.

Despite Company’s data security efforts, no transmission of information via the internet can be completely secure. We do our best to protect your personal information, but we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to our Website. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Website.

Changes To This Policy

We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy at our discretion. The date this Privacy Policy was last updated is identified at the top of this page. Any changes to the Privacy Policy shall apply to all users as of the date that the amended Privacy Policy is posted on the Website. For that reason, it is important that you check this page regularly for any updates.

Contact Us

If you would like to file a request for information or deletion or have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Semaphore Tax

16420 Bake Parkway

Irvine, CA 92618

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (949) 215-9900

Hours: M-F, 8:30AM – 8:30PM

Website: semaphorehq.com