PRIVACY POLICY

Our Policy

Melissa Bowman Bookkeeping (ABN [Insert Your ABN]) ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect personal information in connection with our bookkeeping, BAS preparation and lodgement, payroll, financial reporting, and related services for small businesses and individuals in Warrnambool and surrounding districts.

We are based in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia, and operate under Australian law.

1. What personal information do we collect?

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Contact and identity information: name, business name, ABN/ACN, address, email address, phone number, and position (e.g., owner, director).
Financial information: bank account details, transaction history, invoices, receipts, debtors/creditors ledgers, and payroll data (including employee names, TFNs, superannuation details, pay rates, leave entitlements, and termination records).
Tax-related information: TFN, tax references, GST registration details, PAYG withholding information, and other data required for BAS/IAS preparation and lodgement, Single Touch Payroll reporting, or liaison with your accountant.
Other information: details provided in client intake forms, emails, meeting notes, uploaded documents; information from authorised third parties (e.g., bank feeds, ATO portals, super funds).

We generally collect sensitive information only where reasonably necessary for our services (e.g., payroll may include health/leave-related details). We will only collect sensitive information with your consent or where permitted/required by law.

We may also collect limited information automatically via our website (melissabowman.com.au), such as IP address, browser type, pages visited, and access times (via cookies or analytics). See section 10 below.

2. How do we collect personal information?

We collect personal information:

Directly from you (via email, phone, secure client portals, intake forms, meetings, or our website enquiry forms).
From third parties you authorise (e.g., your bank via secure feeds, your accountant, the ATO with your permission, payroll/super platforms).
From public sources (e.g., ASIC registers for business details) where relevant and lawful.

3. Why do we collect, use and disclose personal information?

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:

Provide bookkeeping, BAS/IAS preparation and lodgement (as a registered BAS Agent), payroll processing, bank reconciliations, data entry, software setup (e.g., Xero, MYOB, Reckon), financial reporting, and other agreed services.
Communicate with you about your engagement, updates, invoices, and service matters.
Comply with legal and regulatory obligations (e.g., tax laws, ATO reporting, anti-money laundering rules, BAS Agent Code of Professional Conduct).
Manage our business operations, improve services, and resolve any issues.
Where you have expressly consented, send occasional service updates or newsletters (you can opt out anytime via reply or contact).

We do not use your information for unrelated direct marketing.

4. Who do we disclose personal information to?

We may disclose personal information to:

Our professional advisors (e.g., insurer, accountant, lawyer) where necessary.
Service providers we use (e.g., cloud accounting platforms such as Xero, MYOB, Reckon; secure file storage/email providers; IT support), which may involve overseas storage/access (see section 5).
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), superannuation funds, banks, or government agencies as required or authorised by law.
Your nominated accountant, financial advisor, or other professional.
In limited cases: courts, regulators, or debt recovery (for unpaid fees).

We do not sell personal information.

5. Overseas disclosure

Some service providers (e.g., Xero servers in New Zealand/USA, MYOB cloud services, or other cloud tools) may store or process data outside Australia. These countries may not have privacy laws equivalent to Australia's.

We take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients protect information consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles (e.g., via provider privacy policies, contracts, or standard safeguards).

6. How do we protect personal information?

We take reasonable steps to safeguard personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure, including:

Industry-standard encryption and secure cloud storage.
Password-protected client portals and secure file sharing.
Access limited to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis.
Secure deletion/disposal when information is no longer required.

No transmission or storage method is completely secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. How long do we keep personal information?

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes in this policy and to meet legal obligations (typically 5–7 years under Australian tax, superannuation, and corporations laws; longer in some cases for payroll/BAS records).

After this, we securely destroy or permanently de-identify the information.

8. Access and correction

You may request access to your personal information we hold, or ask us to correct it if inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.

We will usually respond within 30 days. A reasonable fee may apply for access requests requiring significant effort. We may refuse in limited circumstances allowed by law (e.g., if it affects another's privacy).

9. Complaints

If you have a privacy concern or believe we have breached this policy, please contact us first — we aim to resolve issues promptly.

You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): Website: www.oaic.gov.au Phone: 1300 363 992 Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

10. Website and cookies

Our website (melissabowman.com.au) may use cookies or similar technologies for basic functionality, analytics, and security. You can manage or disable cookies in your browser settings. The site may contain links to third-party sites; we are not responsible for their privacy practices.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally. Changes will be posted here with an updated date. Your continued use of our services after changes indicates acceptance.

Contact us

Privacy enquiries: Melissa Bowman Bookkeeping

Email: mel@melissabowman.com.au

Phone: +61 418 535 045

Website: www.melissabowman.com.au

Address: Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia

ABN: [Insert Your ABN]

This policy is effective as of January 2026.