Privacy Policy

Guy R Wilcox CPA PC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at wilcox-tax.com and when you use our professional tax preparation, accounting, and consulting services.

As a Certified Public Accounting firm, we are bound by professional standards of confidentiality including the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, IRS Circular 230, and the Georgia State Board of Accountancy regulations. These professional obligations provide additional protections for your information beyond those required by general privacy laws.

This policy applies to all visitors to our website, current and prospective clients, and any individual whose personal information we process in the course of providing our services.

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Providing tax preparation, planning, accounting, and consulting services
• Responding to inquiries submitted through our contact form
• Processing and filing tax returns with the IRS and state tax agencies on your behalf
• Analyzing website traffic and improving the user experience (via Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, and Vercel Analytics)
• Communicating with you about appointments, tax deadlines, and service-related updates
• Complying with legal, regulatory, and professional obligations
• Maintaining the security and integrity of our services and client data
• Internal business operations, record-keeping, and quality assurance

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. We implement Google Consent Mode v2, which means all analytics and advertising cookies are denied by default and are only activated when you click “Accept” on our cookie consent banner.

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Tax Authorities: We file tax returns and related documents with the IRS and state tax agencies on your behalf as part of our professional services.
• Service Providers: We use trusted third-party service providers including SmartVault (secure document management), Vercel (website hosting), and email service providers. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information.
• Analytics Providers: When you consent to cookies, anonymized usage data is shared with Google (Analytics), Microsoft (Clarity), and Meta (Pixel) for website improvement and advertising purposes.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, subpoena, or regulatory investigation.
• Professional Obligations: As required by AICPA standards, state CPA board regulations, or IRS requirements.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the same privacy protections.

We take the security of your information seriously and implement appropriate technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect it, including:

• Encryption in Transit: Our website uses HTTPS/TLS encryption with HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) for all data transmission.
• Security Headers: We implement industry-standard security headers including X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, and Permissions-Policy to protect against common web vulnerabilities.
• Secure Document Exchange: Client documents are exchanged through the SmartVault secure portal, which provides encrypted file storage and transfer.
• Physical Security: Paper records and documents are stored in secure, access-controlled facilities at our office.
• Access Controls: Access to client information is restricted to authorized personnel who need it to perform their professional duties.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to maintaining industry-standard protections.

We retain your information for the following periods:

• Tax Records: The IRS requires CPAs to retain copies of tax returns and supporting documents for a minimum of 3 years. We recommend and generally retain records for 7 years in accordance with professional best practices.
• Contact Form Submissions: Retained for the duration of the business relationship plus any legally required retention period.
• Website Analytics Data: Retained per the default retention policies of Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, and Meta.
• Cookie Consent Preferences: Retained in your browser's local storage until you clear your browser data.
• Client Portal Documents: Retained per SmartVault's data retention policies.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and professional retention requirements.
• Cookie Management: Accept or reject non-essential cookies through our consent banner, or use browser-level controls.
• Opt-Out of Analytics: Reject cookies via our consent banner or install browser opt-out extensions.
• Communication Preferences: Contact us to opt out of non-essential communications.

Do Not Track: Our website currently does not respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals. However, our cookie consent mechanism provides you with direct control over tracking technologies.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 14 below.

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to Know: You may request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to Delete: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions including legal and professional retention requirements.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell your personal information. No action is required on your part.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

To submit a verifiable consumer request, please call 1-844-207-3069 or use our contact form. We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days as required by law.

Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will promptly delete it. If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites and services, including:

• SmartVault Client Portal (wilcoxtaxfirm.smartvault.com) — Our secure document exchange platform, governed by SmartVault's own privacy policy.
• IRS.gov — Links to IRS publications and resources.
• Other External Resources — Links to tax-related educational content and tools.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

As a CPA firm, your information is protected by professional confidentiality obligations that go beyond general privacy law:

• AICPA Code of Professional Conduct (Rule 301): Requires CPAs to maintain the confidentiality of client information and prohibits disclosure without client consent, except as required by law or professional standards.
• IRS Circular 230: Governs practice before the Internal Revenue Service and imposes strict standards of conduct on tax practitioners regarding client information.
• IRC Section 7525: Provides a tax advice privilege similar to attorney-client privilege, protecting confidential communications between a taxpayer and a federally authorized tax practitioner.
• Georgia State Board of Accountancy: Imposes state-level confidentiality requirements on licensed CPAs practicing in Georgia.

These professional obligations mean that your tax and financial information receives a higher level of protection than what is typically required by general privacy regulations.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: