Privacy Policy

Overview

Ascend Taxes ("we," "us," or "our") is a remote U.S. tax preparation and planning practice. This policy explains what information we collect through this website and our client portal, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies to visitors to our marketing site and to clients using our document portal.

Information We Collect

We collect information directly from you, such as:

• Contact details you submit through our booking widget, contact form, or chat widget — name, email, phone number, and the contents of your message.
• Account information if you create a client portal login, including your email and authentication credentials (managed securely by our authentication provider — we never see or store your password in plain text).
• Tax documents and related files you upload to your secure client portal once you become a client, after a consultation has been confirmed.
• If you choose Connect your bank in the client portal, read-only transaction data from the accounts you select, retrieved through Plaid. We never receive your bank password. You can disconnect at any time; we stop pulling new transactions, and ledger entries you already saved stay in your portal.

We do not collect Social Security numbers or other sensitive tax identifiers through this website. Document and identifying-information exchange for active engagements happens only through your encrypted client portal, never through the public contact or booking forms.

Bank connections (Plaid)

Connect your bank is optional. Plaid opens your bank's own sign-in so we can import transactions to help your preparer find possible deductions and keep your Books current. The connection is read-only — we cannot move money. Access tokens are stored server-side and are not shown in the portal. Disconnect anytime from Financials (Command Center) or your dashboard (Classic).

How We Use Your Information

• To respond to inquiries and schedule consultations.
• To prepare and file tax returns and provide related services for engaged clients.
• To send appointment confirmations, document requests, and status updates about your engagement.
• To maintain records as required by IRS recordkeeping rules and other applicable law.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your tax data for advertising.

How We Protect Your Information

Client documents and messages are stored using encryption in transit and at rest, with access restricted to authorized personnel only. While we take reasonable, industry-standard precautions, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and we cannot promise absolute security for information transmitted online.

Sharing Your Information

We do not share your personal or tax information with third parties except: (1) with your consent, (2) with service providers who help us operate our practice (such as our secure hosting, database, communications providers, and Plaid for optional bank connections) under confidentiality obligations, or (3) when required by law, such as in response to a valid subpoena or court order.

Cookies & Analytics

Our site may use minimal, privacy-respecting analytics to understand site usage. We do not use third-party advertising trackers.

Your Choices

You can ask us at any time to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you, subject to our legal obligation to retain certain tax records. Contact us using the details below to make a request. If you connected a bank, you can disconnect it yourself in the portal; we then stop importing new transactions.

Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for adults seeking tax preparation services. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We'll update the "Last updated" date above when we do.

Contact Us

Questions about this policy? Reach out at hello@ascendtaxes.co or call (312) 872-1550.