Skip to content

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 26, 2025

1. PREAMBLE

  1. These governance rules and privacy policy regarding the protection of personal information (the "Policy") aim to establish the principles that Alexandre Martel (the "Firm") and its representatives must follow when collecting, using, disclosing, retaining, and destroying personal information.
  2. The Policy outlines, among other things, the framework for the Firm's obligations, including the roles and responsibilities of the person in charge of access and protection of personal information (the "Privacy Officer") and its employees in handling personal information. It also includes the rights of individuals whose personal information is collected, used, disclosed, retained, and destroyed by the Firm, as well as the complaint process regarding the protection of personal information.
  3. The Policy applies to all personal information related to clients, suppliers, staff, and employees (the "Concerned Individuals").

2. CONSENT

By contacting the Firm, you agree to be bound by this Policy and consent to your personal information being collected, used, disclosed, retained, and destroyed in accordance with the terms described in the Policy.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FIRM AND THE PRIVACY OFFICER

  1. The Firm is responsible for protecting the personal information it holds, whether stored by the Firm or a third party, and regardless of its form (written, graphic, audio, visual, computerized, or otherwise).
  2. As such, the Firm implements appropriate security measures to protect this information proportionally to its sensitivity and adopts this Policy.
  3. The Firm's Privacy Officer ensures compliance with and implementation of these rules and the Firm's obligations regarding the protection of personal information. They are notably involved in preventing and properly managing confidentiality incidents, the complaint process, and privacy impact assessments ("PIA") as needed.

4. CHANGES TO THE POLICY

The Firm reserves the right to modify the Policy at any time by notifying Concerned Individuals through any contact information available to us. If the changes affect the initial consent, the Firm will obtain new consent, as applicable.

5. THE INFORMATION I COLLECT

I collect the following information, in whole or in part, when you communicate with me, particularly for accounting, taxation, and advisory services:

  1. Your first and last name(s)
  2. Your Social Insurance Number
  3. Your date of birth
  4. Your personal mailing address
  5. Your personal phone number
  6. Your personal email address
  7. Your banking information
  8. Your marital status, as well as the same information about your spouse and dependents
  9. Your accounting records
  10. Your tax returns and financial documents
  11. Your business numbers and tax identifiers
  12. Your investment and asset information

7. ACCESS AND CORRECTION

To access the personal information I hold about you, obtain a copy, or correct any inaccurate personal information I hold about you, you can submit a written request. You may also inquire about how this information is used and ensure that it is accurate and complete, updating it as needed, to the extent permitted by law.

8. PURPOSES OF COLLECTION

I request personal information necessary for various purposes, including:

  1. Performing bookkeeping
  2. Handling source deductions and tax remittances
  3. Preparing financial statements
  4. Completing your tax or information returns, including tax slips
  5. Managing a condominium association
  6. Communicating with tax authorities
  7. Complying with various standards and requirements of the Quebec CPA Order
  8. Accessing an online platform to submit, review, and sign documents
  9. Meeting legislative requirements
  10. Conducting financial analyses and projections
  11. Providing tax optimization advice
  12. Representing your interests with tax authorities
  13. Handling tax disputes

9. SECURITY MEASURES

  1. The Firm applies strict security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, loss, theft, or any other security breach. The collected information is safeguarded by reasonable IT security measures considering its sensitivity.
  2. Physical and material security measures include:
    • Restricting access to your personal information to a selected group of individuals
    • Secure offices with controlled access
    • Secure destruction of paper documents
  3. IT security measures include:
    • Use of complex passwords and two-factor authentication
    • Use of secure platforms with AES-256 encryption
    • Encrypted off-site backups
    • TLS protocols for all electronic communications
    • Regular security audits

10. DISCLOSURE TO THIRD PARTIES

  1. The personal information collected is accessible by me for the purposes outlined in this Policy, which I must comply with, or to third parties under restricted service, business, or mandate contracts.
  2. As mentioned in the previous section on security measures, in such cases, contracts ensure the confidentiality and security of your personal information and restrict its use solely to the purposes of the contract, mandate, or service being performed.
  3. Third parties with whom we may share information include:
    • Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec
    • Financial institutions for payment processing
    • Other professionals (lawyers, notaries) when required for your file
    • Secure accounting software providers
    • Secure cloud storage services

11. WITHDRAWAL OF CONSENT

You may modify or withdraw your consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information at any time by sending written notice to the Privacy Officer. I will process your request as soon as possible. You understand that certain features may no longer be accessible or may be restricted following the withdrawal of your consent under this Policy.

12. DESTRUCTION OR ANONYMIZATION

Once the purposes for which the information was collected are fulfilled, the Firm will securely destroy or anonymize it in accordance with legally permitted methods for serious and legitimate uses, subject to any legally required retention period.

Specific retention periods are:

  • Tax documents: 6 years after the last activity (tax requirement)
  • Inactive account information: 6 years after the last activity

13. PORTABILITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Upon your request, I may disclose certain personal information in my possession to a third party, subject to legal limitations and the requirements of the Ordre des CPA du Québec.

14. REGISTER

The Firm takes all reasonable measures to minimize any risk of compromising your information and maintains a register of any incident that may affect its confidentiality. In the event of a serious risk to confidentiality, you will be notified.

15. ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The Firm will conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) if there is any project involving the acquisition or overhaul of IT systems that involves personal information. This is done in consultation with the Privacy Officer, considering factors such as the sensitivity of the information, its volume, and its purpose.

16. COMPLAINT AND HANDLING PROCESS

  1. Any individual concerned about personal information collected, used, disclosed, or retained by the Firm may file a complaint with the Privacy Officer. The complaint must be submitted in writing and specify the nature of the issue, the date of the incident, and the expected resolution. The Privacy Officer will acknowledge receipt of the complaint and process it within a maximum of 20 business days.
  2. The Firm reviews all privacy-related complaints and takes appropriate measures to resolve them. For additional information about how I handle personal information, please contact:
Alexandre Martel CPA
Privacy and Access Officer
1321, rue de la Providence
Longueuil, QC J4K 1B3
Phone: 438-879-4466
Email: info@alexandremartel.ca

17. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

  1. The Firm uses cookies and similar technologies to:
    • Ensure the proper functioning of the website (essential cookies)
    • Analyze traffic and improve user experience
    • Personalize content for returning visitors
  2. Cookies are categorized as follows:
    • Strictly necessary cookies: Required for website functionality
    • Performance cookies: Used to analyze site usage
    • Functionality cookies: Used to remember your preferences
    • Marketing cookies: Used to display targeted ads (with consent)
  3. You can manage your preferences via our consent banner or your browser settings.

18. ANALYTICS TOOLS

  1. Google Analytics: We use this service to:
    • Measure website traffic
    • Analyze visitor behavior
    • Improve our online services

    Data is anonymized and retained for a maximum of 26 months.

  2. Meta Pixel: Used to:
    • Measure the effectiveness of our Facebook/Instagram ads
    • Understand visitor actions after viewing our ads

19. ONLINE ADVERTISING

  1. Google Ads: We use:
    • Conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of our campaigns
    • Remarketing to target visitors who have shown interest in our services
    • Similar audiences to reach new potential customers
  2. Social networks: Our campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn may use:
    • Conversion tracking
    • Visitor retargeting
    • Customer journey analysis
  3. You can disable personalized advertising through each platform's settings.

20. PROFESSIONAL TOOLS

  1. Odoo: Our integrated management system uses:
    • Session cookies for secure authentication
    • Activity tracking for billing and case management
    • Internal analytics to improve our processes
  2. Accounting software: The platforms we use (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage) may:
    • Record usage metadata
    • Collect technical data for support
    • Generate anonymized usage reports
  3. Cloud services: Our storage providers (e.g., Odoo, OneDrive) implement:
    • Access logs for security
    • Usage analytics for maintenance

21. PREFERENCE MANAGEMENT

  1. You can control tracking technologies via:
  2. Some website features may be limited if you disable essential cookies.
  3. For any specific questions about these technologies, contact our Data Protection Officer.

22. NEWSLETTERS AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

  1. Subscription: When you subscribe to our newsletter:
    • We only collect your email address and name (optional)
    • We use double consent (opt-in) compliant with Canada's Anti-Spam Law (CASL)
    • You receive a confirmation email before any communication
  2. Content: Our newsletters may include:
    • Tax and accounting news
    • Practical financial advice
    • Relevant service offers
    • Invitations to webinars or events
  3. Tracking: We analyze:
    • Open rates (with tracking pixels)
    • Link clicks (with tracked redirects)
    • Unsubscribes and complaints

    This data is used to improve our communication and is not shared.

23. OUTBOUND MARKETING

  1. Professional approach: Our outbound campaigns (calls/emails):
    • Target exclusively professionals/businesses (B2B)
    • Respect do-not-contact lists (NEADS)
    • Are based on existing relationships or expressed interests
  2. Contact sources: We may use:
    • Your publicly available professional contact details (website/LinkedIn)
    • Referrals from existing clients (with consent)
    • Lists from professional events where you registered
  3. Preference management:
    • All communications include a clear unsubscribe option
    • Removal requests are processed within 48 hours
    • You can specify your preferred communication channels

24. LEGAL BASIS FOR MARKETING

  1. Our marketing activities are based on:
    • Explicit consent (for newsletters)
    • Legitimate interest (for relevant B2B communications)
    • Existing contractual relationship (important updates)
  2. Compliance with:
    • Canada's Anti-Spam Law (CASL)
    • Quebec's Law 25 (clear consent and easy withdrawal)
    • Professional ethics rules of the CPA Order

This Policy complies with Canadian personal information protection laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Quebec's Law 25.