Who we are
Barton Accountancy Limited ("Barton Accountancy", "we", "us", "our") is an ICAEW Chartered Accountancy firm based at Shellbrook House, South Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1BR. We are the data controller for the personal data we collect about you.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact us at hello@bartonaccountancy.co.uk or on 01530 886296.
What personal data we collect
We collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us:
When you visit our website
- Technical data — IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, referrer, time spent on the site. This is collected automatically via Netlify hosting logs and standard web analytics.
- Cookies — we use a small number of essential cookies for site functionality, and optional analytics cookies to understand how visitors use the site. You can opt out of analytics cookies at any time.
When you contact us or request a quote
- Contact details — name, email address, phone number, business name.
- Business information — business type, approximate turnover, the services you are interested in, and any information you share in your message.
When you become a client
- Identification data — required under UK Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations: ID documents, proof of address, company information.
- Financial data — bank statements, invoices, receipts, payroll records, tax returns and other accounting records you provide for us to perform our services.
- HMRC and Companies House data — when you authorise us as your agent, we access your records with HMRC and Companies House on your behalf.
Why we use your data
We use your personal data for these specific purposes:
- To respond to enquiries — when you contact us for a quote or with a question, we use your contact details to reply.
- To provide accountancy services — to prepare and file your accounts, tax returns, payroll, VAT returns and other work you have engaged us to do.
- To comply with legal obligations — we are required to keep client records for specific periods under HMRC rules, AML regulations, and the Companies Act. We are also regulated by the ICAEW and must comply with their professional standards.
- To improve our service — we may use anonymised analytics data to understand how visitors use our website and improve it.
Our legal basis for processing your data
Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:
- Contract — when you engage us as your accountant, we process your data to fulfil our contractual obligations to you.
- Legal obligation — we are legally required to keep certain records and report certain information to HMRC and regulators.
- Legitimate interest — we use basic analytics to understand how our website performs and to provide a better experience to visitors.
- Consent — for any non-essential marketing communications, we ask for your explicit consent first and you can withdraw it at any time.
How long we keep your data
We keep your data only for as long as we need it, and for any additional period required by law:
- Enquiry data (if you never become a client) — up to 2 years from your last contact, then deleted.
- Client accounting records — at least 7 years from the end of the tax year, as required by HMRC for limited companies and sole traders. Some records may be kept longer for specific legal reasons.
- AML identification records — 5 years after the end of our business relationship, as required by anti-money laundering regulations.
- Website analytics — anonymised, typically kept for 14 months.
Who we share your data with
We only share your data with third parties where necessary to deliver our services or where legally required:
- HMRC and Companies House — we file accounts, tax returns and payroll information on your behalf when authorised.
- Accounting software providers — Xero, QuickBooks or other cloud accounting platforms that you use (and that we use to manage your books).
- Professional advisors — solicitors or specialists we engage for your specific matter, only with your knowledge.
- Our regulators — ICAEW, HMRC and the Information Commissioner's Office, if required as part of their oversight.
We never sell, rent or trade your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data — request a copy of what we hold about you.
- Rectification — ask us to correct any inaccurate data.
- Erasure — ask us to delete your data, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records.
- Restriction — ask us to pause processing in specific circumstances.
- Portability — receive your data in a portable format.
- Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interest.
- Withdraw consent — where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@bartonaccountancy.co.uk. We respond to all requests within one month.
How we protect your data
We take data security seriously. We use encrypted storage, two-factor authentication on every system that holds your data, secure cloud backups, and access controls that limit staff access to what is strictly needed. Our website uses HTTPS across every page. Our accounting software providers (Xero, HMRC portals) are themselves regulated and certified to high security standards.
Cookies
Our website uses a small number of cookies:
- Essential cookies — required for the site to function (e.g., remembering that you've dismissed the preloader for the rest of your session). These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies — optional. If enabled, we use anonymised analytics to understand aggregate traffic patterns.
You can disable cookies in your browser at any time, though some parts of the site may not function as smoothly.
Complaints
If you have a concern about how we handle your data, please contact us first — we'll do our best to resolve it. If you're not satisfied, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services or our practices. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will always show when the most recent change was made. Significant changes will be communicated to existing clients directly.
