Privacy policy

Last updated: 2026

This policy explains what information Carry Forward Financial LLC collects, why, and what happens to it. It covers both visitors to this website and clients of the practice, because the rules that apply to each are different.

The short version

I do not sell your information to anyone, ever. I do not share it for advertising. I collect the minimum needed to answer your enquiry or do your work. Tax return information is protected by federal law that carries criminal penalties for misuse, and I treat it accordingly.

If you are a client: tax return information

Section 7216 of the Internal Revenue Code governs what a tax return preparer may do with your tax return information. It prohibits disclosing or using that information for any purpose other than preparing your return, except in specific circumstances or with your written consent.

In practice this means:

I will not disclose your tax return information to anyone without your written consent, other than where the law requires or permits it.
I will not use your tax return information to market unrelated services to you.
If I ever need to send your information to a third party, including your attorney, your lender, or another professional, I will obtain specific written consent from you first, in the form the regulations require.
Consent is never bundled into an engagement letter. It is always a separate document you sign knowingly.

Violating these rules is a criminal offence, not a technicality. I take it seriously.

Separately, as a financial institution under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, this practice maintains a written information security plan as required by the FTC Safeguards Rule. The security page explains what that means in practice.

What this website collects

Information you give me

When you complete a form on this site, I receive whatever you typed into it. Typically that is your name, email address, and a description of your situation, plus any optional details you chose to provide.

Form submissions are stored in the website database and are also emailed to me. This is why every form on this site asks you not to include Social Security numbers, account numbers or documents. Web forms and email are not secure channels. Once we are working together you will use an encrypted client portal instead.

If you download a guide, I receive the email address you provided and add it to a mailing list you can leave at any time.

Information collected automatically

Like almost every website, this one records basic technical information when you visit: IP address, browser type, device type, which pages you looked at, and where you arrived from. This is used to understand which pages are useful and to keep the site secure.

The cookie notice covers this in more detail.

Who else is involved

Running a practice requires service providers, and some of them necessarily process information. These are the categories:

Web hosting. The company hosting this website stores its files and database.
Form software. Form submissions are handled by a WordPress plugin and stored in the site database.
Spam protection. A service that distinguishes real visitors from automated ones receives limited technical information about your visit.
Email. Business email is hosted by a mail provider. Mailing list messages are sent through an email service.
Scheduling. If you book a call, a scheduling service handles the booking and calendar.
Payments. Payments are processed by a payment processor. I never see or store your full card details.
Client portal and tax software. Client documents and returns are handled in professional tax software with an encrypted client portal.
Analytics. Aggregate website usage statistics.

These providers process information on my behalf and under my instruction. None of them receive your tax return information for their own purposes, and none of them are permitted to sell it.

I may also disclose information where the law requires it, such as in response to a valid subpoena or court order, or to establish or defend a legal claim.

How long information is kept

Client records are retained for as long as is necessary for the engagement and for the period required by professional and legal obligations, which for tax records is generally several years after the relevant return. Enquiries that do not become engagements are kept for a reasonable period and then deleted.

If you want your information deleted, ask. I will do it wherever I am not legally required to keep it, and I will tell you plainly if something has to be retained and why.

Your choices

Ask what I hold. Email me and I will tell you.
Correct it. If something is wrong, tell me and I will fix it.
Delete it. As above, subject to legal retention requirements.
Leave the mailing list. Every email has an unsubscribe link and it works immediately.
Refuse cookies. See the cookie notice.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act or, if you are in Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation. If you are outside the United States and believe one of those applies to you, write to me and I will deal with your request on that basis rather than arguing about jurisdiction.

If you are outside the United States

This practice works with Americans living abroad, which means information is transferred to and processed in the United States. US privacy law differs from the law where you live. By contacting me or engaging the practice, you understand that your information will be handled in the United States under United States law.

Security, and what happens if something goes wrong

Reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards are in place, described on the security page. No system is perfectly secure, and anyone claiming otherwise is selling something.

If there is a breach affecting your information, you will be notified promptly and told what happened, what was involved, and what to do about it. Tax professionals are also required to report certain incidents to the IRS and to state authorities, and I will do so.

Children

This website is not directed at children and I do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13 through it. Client engagements may necessarily involve information about children, such as dependants on a return, provided by their parent or guardian.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes materially, the date at the top will be updated. Continuing to use the site after that means you accept the revised version.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or requests about your information, go to:

Carry Forward Financial LLC
Michael Jones, EA & CFP
carryforwardtax@gmail.com
Tallahassee, Florida