TaxBuddie

This Privacy Policy explains how TaxBuddie collects, uses, shares, protects, retains and deletes personal data across the TaxBuddie website, progressive web app, iOS app and Android app.

Controller: TaxBuddie is operated by Pluto Software Solutions. TaxBuddie is the controller of the account and record-keeping information described in this policy. Privacy requests and complaints can be sent to support@taxbuddie.org.

1. Scope And Roles

This policy applies when you create or use a TaxBuddie account, use TaxBuddie Pro, upload receipts or statements, enable reminders, contact support, visit the website, or use reports and exports.

TaxBuddie is the controller for the information it decides how and why to process. Payment providers, app stores and certain infrastructure providers may also act as independent controllers for information they collect directly under their own privacy policies.

2. Information We Collect

• Account and identity: email address, username, date of birth, Firebase user ID, email-verification status, account creation date, language, theme and avatar.
• Work and tax records: shift dates and times, platforms used, mileage, earnings, tips, expenses, notes, recurring costs, goals and calculated summaries.
• Files you provide: receipt photographs, information extracted when you choose Smart Receipt Scan, and statement files or information extracted from imported statements.
• Subscriptions: plan, billing provider, status, customer or subscription identifiers, trial dates, renewal dates and entitlement state. Full card details are handled by the payment provider and are not stored by TaxBuddie.
• Communications and preferences: support or feedback messages, notification choices and device notification tokens where needed to deliver requested reminders.
• Technical and usage information: security events, authentication activity, app version, device/platform type, error information, IP-derived connection information held by hosting providers, and aggregated website analytics where enabled.

3. Information You Must Provide

An email address, username, password and date of birth are required to create, secure and age-check an account. If you do not provide them, TaxBuddie cannot create the account. Shift, mileage, expense, receipt, goal and statement information is optional, but the related features cannot operate without the records you choose to enter.

4. Purposes And Lawful Bases

• Contract: creating and authenticating your account, synchronising records, providing calculations, reports, exports, subscription access and requested support.
• Legitimate interests: protecting accounts, preventing abuse, diagnosing faults, maintaining service reliability, understanding aggregated feature usage and improving TaxBuddie. These interests are balanced against your rights and reasonable expectations.
• Consent: optional notifications and non-essential analytics or similar technologies where consent is required. You can withdraw consent through Profile, device settings or the website controls provided.
• Legal obligations: responding to valid legal requests, handling data-rights requests, maintaining necessary payment or accounting records, and meeting security or regulatory duties.

TaxBuddie will not use your personal data for an incompatible new purpose without first providing appropriate information and, where required, obtaining consent.

5. Calculations And Automated Processing

TaxBuddie automatically calculates totals, mileage claims, tax pots, forecasts, nudges, rankings and other insights from the information you provide. These are record-keeping aids and estimates. TaxBuddie does not make solely automated decisions about you that produce legal or similarly significant effects, and it does not submit information to HMRC on your behalf.

Smart Receipt Scan is optional and runs only when you tap the scan action. The selected receipt image is sent through a secure TaxBuddie server function to OpenAI's API to suggest the merchant, total, date, VAT and expense category. You must review the suggestions before saving because automated extraction can be inaccurate. TaxBuddie requests that the API response is not stored as application state and does not permit API inputs or outputs to be used for model training; OpenAI may retain API content in abuse-monitoring logs for up to 30 days unless a shorter approved retention control applies.

6. Who Receives Information

Information is shared only where needed to operate TaxBuddie, where you direct a share or export, where required by law, or where necessary to protect users and the service. Current provider categories include:

• Google Firebase for authentication, database and related cloud infrastructure;
• Netlify for website hosting and secure server functions;
• OpenAI for optional Smart Receipt Scan image processing;
• Stripe for website subscription billing and customer management;
• Apple and Google for mobile app distribution, store subscriptions and device services;
• Expo/EAS for mobile build, update and delivery infrastructure; and
• Google Analytics for website measurement where enabled.

TaxBuddie does not sell or rent personal data. Leaderboard username, avatar, plan badge and weekly mileage are shared with other signed-in users only if you actively opt in. When you export or share a report, you control the recipient and are responsible for sending it securely.

7. Cookies, Device Storage And Notifications

TaxBuddie uses necessary browser or device storage for authentication, theme, language, update state and offline/app functionality. The website may use analytics technologies to understand aggregated use where enabled. Non-essential technologies should be used only where the required choice or consent has been provided.

Push or local notifications are optional. The app asks for device permission when you first enable them. You can disable reminders in Profile or withdraw operating-system permission in device settings.

8. International Processing

Some providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires a transfer safeguard, TaxBuddie and its providers rely on an applicable adequacy regulation, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, or another lawful safeguard. Information about a provider’s safeguards can be requested at support@taxbuddie.org.

9. Retention

• Account, shift, expense, receipt, goal, import and preference data is kept while the account is active or until you delete individual records.
• On completed account deletion, active TaxBuddie account data is removed. Residual encrypted provider backups may expire under the provider’s controlled backup cycle and are not used to recreate the account.
• Support, security and complaint information is kept only as long as reasonably needed to resolve the matter, establish what happened, prevent abuse or meet legal obligations.
• Payment providers may retain transaction records for accounting, fraud prevention, disputes and legal compliance under their own retention requirements.
• Anonymous or aggregated information that can no longer identify you may be retained for service analysis.

10. Security And Your Responsibilities

TaxBuddie uses measures including authenticated access controls, restricted server credentials, encrypted network connections, provider security controls and reauthentication before destructive account actions. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.

You should use a unique password, protect access to your email and devices, sign out of shared devices, review exports before sharing, and avoid uploading unnecessary information about other people. Contact support@taxbuddie.org promptly if you believe your account or data has been compromised.

11. Your Data-Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and lawful basis, UK data-protection law may give you rights to:

• receive a copy of your personal data;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• request deletion or restriction;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• receive eligible data in a portable format; and
• withdraw consent at any time without affecting earlier lawful processing.

Your right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests by emailing support@taxbuddie.org. TaxBuddie will stop that processing unless there are compelling legitimate grounds or it is needed for legal claims.

TaxBuddie may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Rights can be subject to legal exemptions, and TaxBuddie will explain any refusal or limitation.

12. Account Deletion And Subscription Billing

You can permanently delete your account from Profile on the website, iOS app or Android app. Deletion removes the Firebase login and associated TaxBuddie records, including receipt data, and cannot be undone. A Stripe subscription and Stripe customer connected to the account are cancelled by the deletion service before data is erased.

Apple controls Apple auto-renewable billing. Cancel an Apple subscription in App Store subscription settings before deleting the TaxBuddie account. Google Play subscriptions should likewise be cancelled in Play Store settings unless TaxBuddie expressly confirms backend cancellation. Removing the app from a device does not itself cancel a subscription.

Account deletion instructions and alternative request route.

13. Privacy Complaints And The ICO

To make a data-protection complaint, email support@taxbuddie.org with the subject “Data Protection Complaint”. TaxBuddie will acknowledge the complaint within 30 days, investigate it appropriately and communicate the outcome.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Visit ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or call 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concern first, but you are not required to contact TaxBuddie before approaching the ICO.

14. Adults Only

TaxBuddie accounts are intended for people aged 18 or over. Date of birth is used to enforce the minimum age. If you believe a person under 18 has created an account, contact support so the account can be investigated and removed.

15. Changes To This Policy

This policy may be updated when TaxBuddie’s features, providers or legal obligations change. The effective date will be updated, and material changes will be brought to users’ attention through an appropriate in-app notice, account message or other clear method before the new use begins where required.

16. Contact

Privacy requests, complaints and questions should be sent to support@taxbuddie.org. Please do not email passwords, full payment-card details, or unnecessary copies of identity documents.