Privacy Policy | Count The Beans

1 About This Policy

Count The Beans is a bookkeeping and BAS agency practice operated by Teresa Hepburn (ABN 41 570 937 112) as a sole trader based in Perth, Western Australia.

This Privacy Policy explains how Count The Beans collects, uses, stores, discloses, and protects personal information in the course of providing bookkeeping and BAS agent services to clients.

Count The Beans is committed to complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). As a registered BAS Agent, Count The Beans is also bound by the confidentiality obligations in the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (TASA) and the Code of Professional Conduct.

By engaging Count The Beans or visiting countthebeans.com.au, you consent to the practices described in this Policy.

2 What Personal Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services and meet our legal obligations.

Contact and identity information

Full name and trading name
Business address and postal address
Email address and phone number
ABN, ACN, or other business registration details

Financial and tax information

Bank account details (for reconciliation purposes only)
BAS and IAS data, GST records, and PAYG withholding information
Payroll records including employee details, wages, superannuation, and leave balances
Financial statements, invoices, receipts, and transaction records
Tax file numbers (TFNs) where required and authorised by law

Business information

Information about your business operations relevant to bookkeeping and compliance
Login credentials for accounting software such as Xero (stored and used securely)

Website information

General browsing data collected via cookies or analytics tools on countthebeans.com.au
Information submitted through contact forms or enquiry emails

3 How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information directly from you in the course of our engagement, including:

During initial consultations and onboarding
Via email, phone, or our website contact form
Through accounting software such as Xero, which you grant us access to
From documents and records you provide to us
From the ATO or other government bodies, where you have authorised us to act on your behalf

We do not collect personal information by unlawful or unfair means.

4 Why We Collect and Use Personal Information

Providing bookkeeping, payroll, and BAS/IAS lodgement services
Communicating with you about your engagement
Complying with our obligations as a registered BAS Agent under TASA
Liaising with the ATO and other relevant authorities on your behalf
Issuing invoices and managing payment for our services
Meeting our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations

We will not use your personal information for any purpose unrelated to your engagement without your consent.

5 Disclosure of Personal Information

Count The Beans does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may disclose your information only in the following circumstances:

To the ATO and government bodies

For the preparation and lodgement of BAS, IAS, and other returns
Where required by law, regulation, or court order

To our software providers

Xero — used for data storage and reconciliation. Xero's Privacy Policy applies to data held on their platform
Other cloud-based tools used in delivering our services

To professional advisers

Accountants, lawyers, or the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) where required for compliance purposes

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

How we use AI: Count The Beans uses AI-assisted tools for drafting documents, internal research, and administrative tasks only. AI tools are never used to lodge returns or make compliance decisions without human review. No raw client financial data, TFNs, or sensitive personal identification information is entered into third-party AI platforms. Any information used with AI tools is generalised or de-identified where possible.

Overseas Contractors

Our commitment: Count The Beans may engage qualified overseas contractors for bookkeeping and virtual assistant tasks. All contractors are bound by written agreements containing strict confidentiality and data security obligations. No client TFNs, passwords, or sensitive identification information is shared with overseas contractors. All work is reviewed and approved by Count The Beans before delivery to you. This is conducted in accordance with Australian Privacy Principle 8 (APP 8).

6 Data Storage and Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access. Our measures include:

Reputable, encrypted cloud-based platforms for data storage (including Xero)
Password protection and two-factor authentication where available
Restricted access to client data — only those who need it to perform their duties
Secure communication channels for sharing sensitive information
Regular review of security practices

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of data transmission or storage is completely secure. If you become aware of any security breach, please notify us immediately at teresa@countthebeans.com.au.

7 Retention and Disposal

We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide our services and comply with our legal obligations. As a registered BAS Agent, we are required by law to retain certain records for a minimum of 5 years.

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.

8 Your Right to Access and Correct Your Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to ask us to correct any inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date information.

To make a request, contact us at teresa@countthebeans.com.au with the subject line "Privacy Access Request" or "Privacy Correction Request". We will respond within 30 days.

9 Privacy Complaints

If you believe we have handled your personal information incorrectly, please contact us first so we can attempt to resolve the matter directly.

Email teresa@countthebeans.com.au with the subject line "Privacy Complaint". We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.

10 Our Website

Our website at countthebeans.com.au may collect non-personal information through cookies and analytics tools to help us understand how visitors use the site. This data is aggregated and does not identify individuals.

Information submitted through our contact form will be used solely to respond to your enquiry. It will not be added to marketing lists or shared with third parties without your consent.

You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect your experience on the site.

11 Changes to This Policy

Count The Beans may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available at countthebeans.com.au and upon request. The date at the top of this document indicates when the Policy was last updated.

12 Contact Us

Business name	Count The Beans
ABN	41 570 937 112
Email	teresa@countthebeans.com.au
Website	countthebeans.com.au
Location	Perth, Western Australia