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Introduction

The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) governs how all private sector organizations in British Columbia handle personal information of clients, employees, and others. Personal information is defined as information that can identify an individual and information about an identifiable individual.

Our firm has always protected the personal information received by us in the course of providing services to our clients and we have formalized our policies as a commitment to maintaining your privacy.

What Information We Collect and Why

We need our clients to provide us with all the relevant facts and information related to our engagement. This information will include personal information about our clients and about other individuals with whom our clients conduct commercial transactions.

Consent for Collection, Use and Disclosure

We will always try to collect personal information directly from the person to whom the information pertains where practical, and we will collect personal information from other sources when necessary. If we need to collect information about individuals other than our clients, we shall do so in accordance to the provisions of PIPA. We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the personal information we collect, use and distribute is accurate and complete.

By engaging our firm to provide services, we consider an individual to have given our firm consent to the collection, use, and distribution of the individual’s personal information. Once this consent has been obtained by our firm, we will continue to collect, use and disclose personal information for the purpose of providing the agreed upon services without obtaining further written or verbal consent to do so. We may also collect, use or disclose personal information about an individual without that individual’s consent as permitted under PIPA.

Our firm will maintain the strictest confidence with respect to any client’s or former client’s information. Accordingly, confidential information will not, without client consent, be disclosed to any individuals in our firm beyond those who are engaged on providing services to the client. This policy applies to anyone outside the firm, except as required by law or under the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia’s Rules of Professional Conduct.

In accordance with professional regulations, our client files must periodically be reviewed by provincial inspectors and by other firm personnel to ensure that we have adhered to professional and firm standards. File reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality of client information.

Security and Retention

In recognition of our professional and legal obligations to protect our confidential client information, we have made arrangements to protect against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal, or destruction of personal information.

We will retain client personal information for a reasonable time period as required by our CPA Rules of Professional Conduct and the terms of our professional liability insurance policy. When no longer required, client personal information will be disposed of in a secured manner.

Requests for Access and Correction

Individuals have the right to ask, in writing, for access to their own personal information in the custody or under the controls of our firm as permitted under PIPA. We will respond to requests as accurately and completely as reasonably possible in the time allowed by PIPA. We are entitled to refuse access in certain situations such as when:

The personal information is protected by solicitor-client privilege.

  • Disclosure of the personal information would reveal confidential commercial information that could, in a reasonable person’s opinion, harm the competitive position of our firm.
  • The personal information was collected for an investigation or legal proceeding that has not concluded, including any appeals.
  • The information was collected by a mediator or arbitrator in conducting a mediation or arbitration where the mediator or arbitrator was appointed under a collective agreement, a law, or by a court.
  • Disclosure could reasonably be expected to threaten the safety or physical or mental health of another individual.
  • Disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause immediate or grave harm to the safety or to the physical or mental health of the individual who made the request.
  • Disclosure would reveal personal information about another individual.
  • Disclosure would identify the individual who has provided personal information about another individual and that individual does not consent to disclosure of his or her identity.

PIPA also allows individuals to request in writing for our firm to correct errors and omissions. We will correct any factual error or omissions and inform other organizations to whom we have disclosed the incorrect information. If we determine there is no factual error or omission, we will annotate the record with the record that a correction was requested by not made.

Contact

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy, or how we have handled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing at:

Sharon Perry Incorporated, Chartered Professional Accountant | email: info@sharonperry.ca | fax: 604.492.0112