Disclaimer, Complaints & Privacy Policy

General Advice Only

The information contained in this website is general advice only. It is not designed for the purpose of providing personal, financial, or investment advice. The information provided on this website does not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or investment needs.

You should assess whether the information on this website is appropriate to your particular investment objectives, financial situation, and investment needs and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a licensed financial adviser.

Legal Disclaimer

By accessing, browsing, or otherwise viewing the pages of this website, you agree to the below terms of use, as amended from time to time, and acknowledge that you have read and understood these terms of use.

Terms of Use

Susan O’Connor Accounting (‘we, us, our’) are not liable to any person or others for any loss resulting in connection with the use of this website, or use of a third party linked website. We do not make any representation as to the accuracy of the information or any other aspects contained in this or any third party linked website, nor warrant that this or any third party linked website is free of viruses, and will not accept any responsibility.

Under no circumstances will we be liable for any losses, damages or expenses whatsoever which result from any use or access of, or any inability to use or access, the website.

Use of this website is entirely at your own risk.
This website is only intended to be relevant for persons residing in Australia.
Following links to any other websites or pages is entirely at your own risk and Susan O’Connor Accounting shall not be responsible or liable for any losses, damages or expenses arising in connection with following such links.

 Copyright

The material on this Website is protected by Australian Copyright Legislation and in copyright legislation in other countries.  You may view this website and its contents using a web browser. You may make copies of portions of this website solely for your own information, research or study provided that you do not modify the copy from how it appears on the website and include the copyright notice on the copy that you make. Save for the foregoing, you must not reproduce, frame (by whatever means), link to or otherwise use any of the material on the site without first obtaining the written permission of Susan O’Connor Accounting or, in the case of third party material, from the owner of the copyright in that material.

Our Privacy Statement

Susan O’Connor Accounting (‘we, us our’) are committed to ensuring the confidentiality and security of your personal information (PI). This Privacy Policy detailing our handling of personal information is available upon request.

Collection of Personal Information

Our collection, use and disclosure of your PI may be subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and accordingly we will only collect PI about you that relates to our engagement with you. We may disclose PI about you with your implied consent for the primary purpose of our engagement with you or to third parties by express consent or as required by law. This PI may be stored overseas. If you would like to access any PI we might hold about you, please contact us by email addressed to our Privacy Officer at susan@susanoconnoraccounting.com.au. 

The type of personal information we collect may include but is not limited to:

  • Full names, including former names and aliases
  • Birth dates and places of birth
  • Contact information including residential and postal addresses, landline and mobile phone numbers, and email addresses
  • Tax File Numbers in accordance with ATO regulations
  • Identity documents in accordance with Tax Agent and AML/CTF obligations
  • Australian Business Numbers
  • Employment information
  • Internet Protocol (IP) addresses

We collect personal information for the following purposes:

  • to provide accounting and other related services to our clients;
  • to provide financial product advice and dealing services in relation to superannuation products, and to advise only in relation to certain classes of products;
  • to provide our clients with information about our services;
  • to comply with our legal obligations; and
  • to help us conduct, manage and enhance our business.

We base our advice on the personal information you provide us. It is important that our advice is based on complete and accurate information. If you do not provide us with full and accurate information, this can affect the advice we are able to provide to you.

We may collect PI about you, your representatives, your clients and others when we provide services to you. If we do, you agree to work with us to ensure that we both meet our respective obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Your obligations may include ensuring your privacy policy and contracts include a reference to your collection practices, how you will use the PI and that you may disclose the PI to an agent for public accounting services. 

Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

We may use or disclose the personal information we collect for the purposes set out above. We may disclose your personal information to:

  • third parties who we engage to do work on our behalf;
  • consultants we engage, such as our lawyers, and other advisors;
  • organisations involved in a transfer or sale of all or part of our assets or business (including accounts and trade receivables);
  • an investigator or recovery agent;
  • regulatory authorities, if required by law; and
  • anyone else to whom you authorise us to disclose it.

We will only disclose your personal information to these organisations to enable them to undertake specified management, administration and advisory services.  Our Privacy Policy contains information about how you may access and seek correction of the personal information we hold about you; and complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, and find out how Susan O’Connor Accounting will deal with a privacy complaint.

Where an outsourced service requires the disclosure of PI to an overseas recipient, we will take reasonable steps to ensure, by contract or otherwise, the recipient complies with the Australian Privacy Principles. 

Your PI may be disclosed to CPA Australia Ltd and its service providers (if requested) for the purpose of conducting a quality review assessment on the services provided, which is aimed at maintaining high industry professional standards. CPA Australia Ltd will handle your personal information in accordance with the CPA Australia Privacy Policy. 

Accessing Your Personal Information

You have a right to access your personal information, subject to certain exceptions allowed by law.  We ask that you provide your request to us in writing and we will provide access to your personal information in the following ways:

  • Providing you with copies
  • Providing you with the opportunity for inspection
  • Providing you with a summary

If charges are applicable for providing your information, we will disclose the charges to you before providing you with access.

If we refuse your request for access to your personal information for any reason, we will provide you with written reasons for doing so.

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you at any time by emailing us at susan@susanoconnoraccounting.com.au and addressing our Privacy Officer.

Storage and Security of Personal Information

We keep your personal information in client files maintained physically and electronically.  These files are accessible to authorised personal and are appropriately secured and subject to confidentiality.

Correction of Personal Information

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your information is correct, however if you become aware of any errors, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can correct your personal  information.

You may request a correction of any of the personal information we hold about you at any time by emailing us at susan@susanoconnoraccounting.com.au and addressing our Privacy Officer.

Please note that we may need additional documentation to substantiate corrections.

Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing Obligations

Our practice must gather information from you to ensure compliance with our anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations. We will need you to present identification documents such as passports and driver’s licences in order to meet our obligations. We may stop providing services to you if you refuse to provide the information we request, or we decide you are not within our risk appetite.

It is an offence under sections 137 and 140 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act) to:

  • provide false or misleading information in this form or documents you provide to us
  • receive a designated service from us using a false name or anonymously.

When engaging with our services, you will need to  confirm that the information provided is correct and accurate. You will also need to consent to your and any representative’s identification being verified electronically, and to us disclosing your information to third parties to help us meet our obligations under the AML/CTF Act.

Complaints

If you have any concerns, disputes, or a formal complaint, please let us know by emailing us at susan@susanoconnoraccounting.com.au and addressing our Privacy Officer.

If the complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) here.

Contact details

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about our privacy policy, please contact:

Privacy Officer

Susan O’Connor Accounting

Phone: 0401 217 901

Email: susan@susanoconnoraccounting.com.au

Post: PO Box 8286 Angelo Street, SOUTH PERTH WA 6151

References

This policy is based on the following:

Privacy Act 1988
Australian Privacy Principles  

We may from time to time, provide you with information that we believe may be of interest to you, by way of, but not limited to, emails or post.  If you do not wish to receive these types of information from us, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can action your request.

Links to Third Party Websites

Our website contains links to third party websites.  Third party websites are not subject to our Privacy Policy and you will need to contact the third party website directly to ascertain their Privacy Policy.

Cookies

Our website utlilises cookies. Cookies allow us to identify your browser whilst you are using our website to provide us with information for e.g. marketing purposes – they do not identify you.  If you do not wish to allow cookies you can change your browser settings.

Information We Are Required To Disclose To You

As a Tax Agent, our work for you is performed in accordance with the Tax Agent Services Act 2009. Under this Act, the Tax Agent Services (Code of Professional Conduct) Determination 2024 requires that we make the following disclosures to you:

  1. Matters that could signifanctly influence your decision to engage us (or continue to engage us) for a Tax Agent Service from 1 July 2022 onward include the following:
    • None Applicable
  2. The Tax Practitioner’s Board maintains a register of Tax Agents and BAS Agents. You can access and search this register here: https://www.tpb.gov.au/public-register
  3. If you have a complaint about our Tax Agent services, please follow the Dispute Resolution Guidelines below.

Dispute Resolution Guidelines

If you have a complaint about any of the financial services provided to you, you should first contact your Susan O’Connor Accounting representative who provided the service to you to discuss your complaint.

You can also contact our Complaints Officer as below:

Susan McCormick

Phone: 0401 217 901

Email: susan@oconnoraccounting.com.au

Post: PO Box 8286 Angelo Street, SOUTH PERTH WA 6151

Please provide as much detail as possible about your complaint, including:

  • Your name and contact details
  • The nature and reason of your complaint
  • The outcome you are seeking
  • Any supporting documents or evidence

How do we handle complaints?

We will acknowledge your complaint within two business days of receiving it. We will also provide you with the name and contact details of the person who will handle your complaint.

We will investigate your complaint and try to resolve it as soon as possible. We will keep you informed of the progress and outcome of your complaint. We will also advise you of any external dispute resolution options that may be available to you.

We aim to resolve most complaints within 21 days. However, some complex complaints may take longer. If we expect that your complaint will take more than 45 days to resolve, we will inform you of the reasons for the delay and the expected timeframe for resolution.

We will provide you with a written response to your complaint, outlining the outcome and the reasons for our decision. We will also inform you of any remedies or actions that we have taken or will take to address your complaint.

If you are not satisfied with our response or the way we handled your complaint, you can request an internal review by our senior management. You can also escalate your complaint to an external dispute resolution scheme if you are eligible.

External Dispute Resolution

If you are not satisfied with our IDR process or the outcome of your complaint, you may be able to access an external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme. EDR schemes are independent and impartial bodies that can help resolve complaints between consumers and financial service providers.

Depending on the nature and subject matter of your complaint, you may be able to refer your complaint to one of the following EDR schemes:

  • The Fair Work Commission (FWC), which handles complaints about workplace issues, such as unfair dismissal, bullying, harassment, discrimination and pay disputes.
  • The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which handles complaints about financial products and services, such as superannuation, investments, advice, insurance and credit.
  • The Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), which handles complaints about registered tax practitioners, such as tax agents and BAS agents.
  • CPA Australia, which handles complaints about members of CPA Australia who provide accounting services.

The contact details of these EDR schemes are:

FWC

  • Phone: 1300 799 675
  • Email: enquiries@fwc.gov.au
  • Website: www.fwc.gov.au Mail: GPO Box 9941 in your capital city

AFCA

TPB

  • Phone: 1300 362 829
  • Email: tpbenquiries@tpb.gov.au
  • Website: www.tpb.gov.au Mail: PO Box 9825 in your capital city

CPA Australia

You can also contact ASIC on 1300 300 630 or visit www.asic.gov.au if you have any concerns about our conduct or compliance with the law.

We will cooperate with any EDR scheme that handles your complaint and abide by their decisions.