Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Chinook Advisory ("we," "us," "our") is committed to handling your personal information with care, discretion, and respect. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you engage with our accounting and tax advisory services or visit our website at inukshuktax.online.

We operate in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Ontario provincial privacy legislation. By using our services or website, you acknowledge the practices described in this document.

If you have questions at any point, please reach out to us at [email protected].

2. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary to deliver our payroll, tax preparation, and business advisory services. This may include:

Personal Identifiers

• Full name, business name, and contact details (email address, phone number, mailing address)
• Social Insurance Number (SIN) and Business Number (BN) where required for CRA filings
• Date of birth for identity verification and tax purposes

Financial Information

• Income statements, expense records, and bookkeeping data
• Payroll records including employee compensation details
• HST/GST registration and filing history
• Corporate and personal tax return information

Website Usage Data

• IP address, browser type, and device information collected automatically via analytics tools
• Pages visited, time spent on site, and referral sources
• Information submitted through our contact form (name, email, phone, message)

How We Collect

• Directly from you during onboarding and service engagements
• Through secure document collection portals
• Via our website contact form
• Through cookies and analytics (see Section 5)

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your information on the basis of: contractual necessity (to deliver the services you engage us for), legal obligations (CRA and regulatory compliance), legitimate interest (improving our services and communications), and your consent where explicitly obtained.

Retention Periods

Tax and financial records are retained for a minimum of seven years in accordance with CRA requirements. Contact form submissions and general correspondence are retained for up to three years. You may request earlier deletion where legally permissible.

3. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used solely to serve you well and operate our practice responsibly. Specific uses include:

• Preparing and filing corporate (T2), personal (T1), and HST/GST returns with the CRA
• Processing payroll runs, remittances, T4s, and Records of Employment
• Developing annual tax planning documents and advisory deliverables
• Scheduling and conducting strategy sessions
• Responding to your inquiries and providing ongoing email support
• Sending appointment reminders and filing deadline notices
• Improving our website and service communications
• Complying with CRA, Ontario Ministry of Finance, and other regulatory requirements

Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may occasionally send you brief updates on regulatory changes, filing deadlines, or practice news. You may withdraw consent at any time by replying "unsubscribe" to any communication or emailing [email protected].

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:

• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) — as required for tax filings and payroll remittances
• Cloud software providers — such as payroll and accounting platforms used to deliver your services, bound by data processing agreements
• Professional advisors — legal or financial consultants engaged on a confidential basis if required to assist your file
• Regulatory authorities — where disclosure is required by law

4. Data Protection Measures

Protecting your financial and personal records is a responsibility we take seriously. Our safeguards include:

• Encryption in transit and at rest — all client data is transmitted over TLS/SSL-encrypted connections and stored in encrypted cloud environments
• Access controls — only authorized personnel involved in your file have access to your information
• Secure document portals — document exchange occurs through password-protected, encrypted portals rather than unencrypted email
• Regular security reviews — our software and access protocols are reviewed periodically
• Breach response — in the event of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) within 72 hours where required by PIPEDA

5. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies to understand how visitors interact with our content and to improve your experience. Cookie categories we may use include:

• Essential cookies — required for basic website functionality and cannot be disabled
• Analytics cookies — help us understand traffic patterns and popular content (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Preference cookies — remember settings such as your cookie consent choices

You may manage your cookie preferences at any time through our Cookie Policy page, which includes functional toggle controls. For detailed information on how we use cookies, please review that page.

6. Your Rights Under PIPEDA

As a Canadian resident, you have meaningful rights over your personal information:

• Right to access — you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to correction — if information we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we correct it
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time (withdrawal does not affect prior lawful processing)
• Right to erasure — where legally permissible and not required for regulatory retention, you may request deletion of your data
• Right to data portability — you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to object — you may object to processing for marketing purposes at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint — if you believe your privacy rights have been compromised, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) at priv.gc.ca or 1-800-282-1376

To exercise any of the above rights, please write to us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

7. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external resources, regulatory bodies, or software platforms. Once you leave our website, this Privacy Policy no longer applies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites and encourage you to review their policies before submitting any personal information.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are directed exclusively at business owners and adults aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has submitted information through our website, please contact us at [email protected] and we will promptly remove it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as our practices evolve or as required by changes in applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will make reasonable efforts to notify active clients by email. Continued use of our services following any update constitutes your acknowledgment of the revised policy.

10. Contact Our Privacy Team

For any questions, concerns, or requests related to your personal information, please reach out: