Privacy Policy

Peters Tax Preparation & Consulting, PC · Effective December 1, 2026 · Richmond, VA · (800) 799-4526

We do not sell your information, and we do not use or share your tax return information for marketing, including with businesses affiliated with our owner, unless you give us written consent. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, when we may share it, and how we protect it.

Who this policy covers

This policy applies to Peters Tax Preparation & Consulting, PC ("the Firm," "we," "us"). It covers information we receive in the course of tax preparation, tax consulting, and tax planning services, and through this website.

Our owner, David Peters, also owns separate financial advisory, insurance, mortgage, and bookkeeping businesses (see our Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure). Those businesses are not covered by this policy and have their own privacy notices. We do not share your information with them unless you authorize it.

The laws that govern your information

As tax return preparers, we are subject to Internal Revenue Code §§ 7216 and 6713 and Treasury Regulations § 301.7216. These rules generally prohibit us from using or disclosing your tax return information for any purpose other than preparing your return unless the law specifically allows it or you give us signed, written consent in advance. We are also subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the FTC Safeguards Rule, the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, and the rules of the Virginia Board of Accountancy.

Where these rules differ, we follow the one that gives you more protection. In practice, that means you must opt in before we use or share your tax return information for any non-permitted purpose; you do not have to opt out.

Information we collect

We collect nonpublic personal information that you give us, or that we obtain with your authorization, including:

Identification details: name, address, phone, email, date of birth, Social Security or taxpayer identification numbers, and copies of identity documents
Financial and tax information: income, wage and information returns (W-2, 1099, K-1), prior-year returns, bank and investment account statements, account numbers used for refunds or payments, business books and records, and payroll data
Information about your dependents, spouse, and business owners or partners, as needed for your returns
Information we receive from the IRS, state revenue departments, or other taxing authorities while acting on your behalf
Information about your relationship with us: engagement letters, invoices, payments, and communications

Tax return information is broader than the return itself. It includes any information we obtain or create in connection with preparing your return, or that we would not have but for preparing it — including information you give us, information from taxing authorities, and information entered into our tax software.

How we use your information

We use your information to:

Prepare, review, and file your federal, state, and local returns and related forms
Provide the tax consulting and planning services you engage us for
Represent you before taxing authorities when engaged to do so
Communicate with you about your engagement, deadlines, and documents
Bill for our services and maintain required business records
Meet our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations, including quality control and peer review

When we share your information

We share your information only in these circumstances:

With taxing authorities — to file your returns and respond to notices on your behalf.
With service providers who help us serve you — for example, tax software, secure document portals, cloud hosting, IT support, e-signature, and payment processing. These providers are bound by written confidentiality terms and may use your information only to provide services to us. We do not disclose your tax return information to service providers or personnel located outside the United States without your prior written consent.
As required by law — for example, in response to a valid subpoena, court order, or regulatory or professional-board inquiry.
With your written consent — for example, to send information to your lender, attorney, or financial advisor, or to refer you to another business. Each consent will describe exactly what information will be shared, with whom, and for what purpose, and will state how long it remains in effect.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We do not share it with affiliated or non-affiliated companies for their marketing. We do not participate in joint marketing arrangements

Your consent rights

Any consent we ask you to sign to use or disclose your tax return information will be a separate document, not part of your engagement letter. Signing it is voluntary, and declining will not affect the services we provide to you. You may revoke a consent at any time by notifying us in writing.

If you believe your tax return information has been used or disclosed without your authorization, you may contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or complaints@tigta.treas.gov.

How we protect your information

We maintain a Written Information Security Program designed to meet the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557. Our safeguards include:

Multi-factor authentication on systems that store client information
Encryption of client data in transit and at rest
An encrypted client portal for exchanging documents
Zero-trust access controls and restricted, role-based access for staff
Background checks, confidentiality agreements, and annual security training for staff
Vendor oversight and contractual security requirements for service providers
A written incident response plan, reviewed at least annually

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Please use our secure portal — not ordinary email — to send Social Security numbers, account numbers, and tax documents.

If a security incident occurs

If we discover that your unencrypted personal information was accessed or acquired without authorization, we will notify you as required by Virginia or other applicable state law, and notify regulators as required by the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS guidance.

How long we keep your information

We keep copies of your returns, workpapers, and engagement records for seven years after the related engagement ends, then securely destroy them. We do not keep your original documents; we return them to you when our work is complete.

Former clients

If you stop being our client, we continue to protect your information as described in this policy for as long as we hold it.

Information collected through our website

When you visit our website, we and our website provider may automatically collect technical information such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited, using cookies and similar tools, to operate and improve the site. We do not use website data to identify you for advertising by third parties. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Information you submit through contact or scheduling forms is used only to respond to you.

Our website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them online.

Text messaging terms

Our text messaging option sends conversational messages to answer questions and support clients, such as answering quick questions and obtaining security codes. Message frequency varies.
Mobile data and consent are never shared with anyone for any purpose. Any information sharing described elsewhere in this policy excludes mobile data. You can opt out of texting at any time.
Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Changes to this policy

We review this policy at least annually. If we make material changes, we will post the updated policy here with a new effective date and notify current clients before applying the change to information we already hold.

Contact us

Peters Tax Preparation & Consulting, PC · 1657 W Broad St. #5, Richmond, VA · (800) 799-4526 · davidpeterstax@gmail.com