Effective Date: September 15, 2025


At First Wave Accounting (“FWA”), we are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding the personal information you entrust to us. As a CPA firm regulated by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (“CPABC”), we follow the requirements of the BC Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and the CPABC Code of Professional Conduct.


1. What Information We Collect


We collect only the information necessary to provide accounting, tax, and advisory services, such as:
• Identification details (e.g., name, date of birth, Social Insurance Number).
• Contact information (e.g., email address, phone number, mailing address).
• Financial and tax information (e.g., T-slips, corporate records, bank statements).
• Information required by law and regulation (e.g., signed CRA Form T183/T183CORP for electronic filing).


We collect and use personal information with your knowledge and consent, except where otherwise permitted or required by law and regulation.


2. How We Use Your Information


We use your personal information only for:
• Preparing and filing personal and corporate tax returns (T1, T2).
• Providing bookkeeping, accounting, and advisory services.
• Communicating with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on your behalf (with consent).
• Meeting our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.


We do not sell or rent client information under any circumstances.


3. How We Protect Your Information


We use multiple safeguards to protect your data:
• Encryption: All client documents are stored in Sync.com (end-to-end encryption). Files on firm computers are protected with full-disk encryption.
• Access Control: Only authorized FWA personnel have access to client records.
• Transmission Security: Client files are shared through encrypted portals, never by unsecured email attachments.
• Retention: Files are retained for as long as required by law, regulation, and professional standards (normally seven years) and securely destroyed thereafter.
• Cross-Border Access: Where services are provided by FWA personnel outside British Columbia, your personal information may be accessible in other jurisdictions, subject to the laws of those jurisdictions.


4. Your Rights


Under PIPA, you have the right to:
• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request corrections to your information.
• Withdraw consent (subject to legal or contractual obligations).



5. Privacy Officer


Our designated Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy and with PIPA.


Privacy Officer
Patrick Harrison, CPA
Founder, First Wave Accounting
patrick@firstwaveaccounting.ca


If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you may also contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia at www.oipc.bc.ca.


6. Updates to This Policy


We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version will always be available at www.firstwaveaccounting.ca/privacy.