Privacy Statement

OUR PRIVACY POLICY

At Everstone Group Pty Ltd we are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. This Privacy Policy describes our current policies and practices in relation to the collection, handling, use and disclosure of personal information. It also deals with how you can complain about a breach of the privacy laws, how you can access the personal information we hold about you and how to have that information corrected.

This policy applies to personal information we collect and hold in the course of providing accounting, taxation, business advisory, SMSF administration, corporate secretarial and related services. Where relevant, it also applies to information we collect to comply with our professional and legal obligations, including tax file number rules and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations.

What information do we collect and how do we use it?

When we provide services to you, we ask for the information we need to understand your circumstances and to complete the work you have asked us to perform. This may include your name, address, contact details, date of birth, tax file number, Australian Business Number, business details, bank account information, income, expenses, assets, liabilities, superannuation information and other financial records. We may also collect identification documents such as your driver’s licence, passport or other identification documents where required to verify your identity and satisfy our professional and legal obligations, including our obligations under anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.

Depending on the services we provide, we may require information about your business structure, employees, payroll, contractors, suppliers and clients where this is relevant to the work we perform on your behalf. In some circumstances, we may collect government-related identifiers, such as Centrelink reference numbers, Medicare numbers or similar information, where required to provide our services. We may also keep records of our communications with you, including emails, correspondence, meeting notes, telephone conversations and documents provided through our client portal, website or software systems.

In some circumstances, we may collect sensitive information, such as health information, only where it is reasonably necessary for the services requested, where you have consented, or where the collection is otherwise permitted by law.

We use your information to prepare and lodge tax returns, financial statements, activity statements and other statutory documents, administer SMSFs, provide accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, corporate secretarial, audit support, business advisory and taxation services, verify your identity, communicate with the ATO, ASIC and other regulators on your behalf where authorised, manage our relationship with you, issue invoices, respond to enquiries and comply with our legal, regulatory and professional obligations.

We may also use your information internally to help us improve our services, manage risk, conduct quality assurance, train staff and resolve any problems.

How do we collect personal information?

Wherever practicable, we collect personal information directly from you. This may occur when you engage us, complete an engagement letter or client form, provide documents and records, contact us by telephone, email or post, attend meetings, use our website, client portal or accounting software integrations, or otherwise deal with us.

We may also collect information from third parties where it is necessary for the services we provide or where you have authorised us to do so. This may include the Australian Taxation Office, ASIC, other government agencies, your authorised representatives, banks, financial institutions, financial advisers, solicitors, mortgage brokers, auditors and other professional advisers.

If you provide us with personal information about another person, such as a spouse, business partner, employee, trustee, director, member or dependent, you should take reasonable steps to ensure that person is aware of this policy and has consented to their information being provided to us where required.

What if you don’t provide some information to us?

We can only properly advise or assist you if we have the relevant information. If you do not provide us with some or all of the information that we ask for, we may not be able to provide the services you have requested, meet our legal obligations, lodge documents on your behalf, or continue to act for you.

Tax File Numbers

We collect, use, store and disclose tax file numbers strictly in accordance with the Privacy (Tax File Number) Rule 2015 and applicable taxation, superannuation and personal assistance laws. Tax file numbers are collected only where they are necessary for the services we provide, such as preparing and lodging tax returns, superannuation documents and related compliance work.

We do not use or disclose your tax file number for any other purpose unless you have consented or the use or disclosure is required or authorised by law. Tax file number information is held securely and is destroyed or de-identified when it is no longer required, subject to our legal and professional record-keeping obligations.

Direct marketing

From time to time we may use your contact details to send you direct marketing communications, including information about our services, industry updates, events, articles or newsletters that we think may be of interest to you. We may do so by mail or electronically unless you tell us that you do not wish to receive these communications.

We always give you the option of electing not to receive these communications in the future. You can unsubscribe at any time by notifying us or by using the unsubscribe facility included in the communication. We will not use sensitive information for direct marketing purposes without your consent.

How do we hold and protect your information?

We strive to maintain the relevance, reliability, accuracy, completeness and currency of the personal information we hold and to protect its privacy and security. We keep personal information only for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, professional or document retention requirements.

We hold information in our client files, on our internal systems, in secure cloud-based software platforms, document management systems, practice management systems and other technology used to operate our business. We may also hold information in archived paper files or with secure external storage providers.

We protect your information by limiting access to authorised personnel only, using password access, multi-factor authentication and other security controls where appropriate, maintaining staff confidentiality obligations and privacy training, using secure IT systems and maintaining physical security over our premises and records.

If we no longer need your personal information and are not required to retain it by law, we will take reasonable steps to destroy it or permanently de-identify it. If a data breach occurs and is likely to result in serious harm, we will take steps required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Who do we disclose your information to?

We may disclose your personal information to the Australian Taxation Office, ASIC and other Commonwealth, State or Territory government agencies and regulators where required for the services provided or by law.

We may also disclose information to our professional advisers, auditors, insurers, professional indemnity insurers, our professional accounting body, the Tax Practitioners Board, IT support providers, software providers, secure document storage providers, mail or print service providers and other third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business.

Where authorised by you, we may disclose information to your other advisers, including financial planners, solicitors, mortgage brokers, banks, auditors and other parties involved in your affairs. We may also disclose information where you have consented, or where disclosure is required or authorised by law, such as in response to a subpoena, statutory notice or regulatory request.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Disclosure of personal information overseas

Some of the cloud-based software and service providers we use to deliver our services may store or process personal information outside Australia. This may include countries where those providers, their related entities or their servers are located.

Where personal information is disclosed to an overseas recipient, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient handles personal information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles, including by relying on the provider’s privacy, confidentiality and security commitments. By engaging our services, you consent to this overseas storage and handling of your personal information for the purposes described in this policy.

Web Data

We may collect personal information from you directly or via your use of our services on our web pages. We will only collect personal information which is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to, our functions or activities.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve functionality, analyse website traffic and enhance your experience. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, although this may affect the functionality of the website.

Our website may also contain links to websites of third-party providers of goods and services. If you access a third-party website through our website, the third party may collect information about you. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party websites and recommend that you review their privacy policies.

Where you access a third-party website from our website, cookie information, information about your preferences or other information you have provided about yourself may be shared between us and the third party where permitted by law or where relevant to the services being provided.

Our use of artificial intelligence

We may use artificial intelligence tools to support the delivery of our services and improve the efficiency of our internal processes. This may include assistance with drafting correspondence, summarising documents, data entry and extraction, research, checking information and other administrative or professional support tasks.

When we use artificial intelligence tools, we take reasonable steps to protect your personal information. This includes using human oversight, limiting the personal information entered into such tools where practicable, avoiding the use of sensitive information or tax file numbers in general-purpose tools unless approved for that purpose, and using providers that we assess as having appropriate confidentiality, privacy and security controls.

Artificial intelligence is used as a support tool only. We do not allow artificial intelligence tools to make final decisions about your tax, accounting, superannuation or financial affairs without meaningful human involvement. If you have concerns about our use of artificial intelligence in relation to your information, please contact us to discuss this.

Access to and correction of personal information

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct any information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. Requests should be made to our Privacy Officer at PO Box 758, Wembley WA 6913.

We will respond to your request within a reasonable period. In some circumstances, we may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of retrieving information and will advise you of any fee in advance. We may decline access in limited circumstances permitted by law, for example where access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, or where we are required or authorised by law to refuse access. If we refuse a request, we will provide reasons where it is reasonable to do so.

Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Privacy Act or the Australian Privacy Principles, or you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer on 08 9287 2117 or write to us at PO Box 758, Wembley WA 6913. We will investigate your complaint and aim to respond within a reasonable period.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The OAIC can be contacted at www.oaic.gov.au or by telephone on 1300 363 992.

Contact us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy, or to make a request regarding your personal information, please contact us on 08 9287 2117.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal or regulatory requirements. The current version will be available on our website and we encourage you to review it periodically. This policy was last updated in August 2026.