document: title: security and privacy
text: Etax understands that you, as an Etax website visitor, are concerned about your privacy as well as the confidentiality and security of information we may gain about you online. Etax is committed to protecting your privacy. This Etax Security and Privacy Statement explains how your personal information will be treated as you access and interact with the Etax website.

As the Etax website develops and as technology evolves, Etax will continue to strive to provide you with better and more customised services and with a more effective website. Etax encourages you to review the Security and Privacy Statement periodically because the Security and Privacy Statement may change from time to time.

In addition to the provisions of this Security and Privacy Statement, there may also be specific and additional privacy provisions which apply to certain sections of the Etax website. Because those specific and additional provisions also relate to your privacy protection, you should review them wherever they are accessible on the Etax website. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Security and Privacy Statement and those other specific and additional provisions, the specific and additional provisions will prevail.

This Security and Privacy Statement applies to this website which is operated by Etax Accountants Pty Ltd (ACN 083 958 150, Postal Address: PO Box 6642 Upper Mount Gravatt, QLD 4122) (“Etax”) under the domain name “www.etax.com.au” (“Etax website”). The Etax website is operated on behalf of Etax and its related bodies corporate (together called the “Etax Group”). The information described in this Security and Privacy Statement may be shared between members of the Etax Group.

This Security and Privacy Statement may also apply to services offered by Etax on websites hosted by third parties. If so, express reference to this Security and Privacy Statement will be made on those websites.

## Security of Personal Information

Etax takes reasonable steps to preserve the security of cookie and personal information in accordance with this Security and Privacy Statement. If your browser is suitably configured, it will advise you whether the information you are sending us will be secure (encrypted) or not secure (unencrypted).

Etax currently uses 256 bit SSL encryption.  We hold an Extended Validation SSL certificate signed by DigiCert – this is the industry standard for Banks and other financial institutions.

  
To verify our current SSL certificate you can click the Digicert logo above or use an independent security check tool such as SSLShopper.com.

Etax regularly reviews developments in security and encryption technologies. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed as totally secure. Accordingly, although Etax strives to protect such information, Etax cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us or from our online products or services and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your transmission, we take reasonable steps to preserve the security of the information in our own systems.

## Browser Security

We strongly encourage you to update your web browser software and computer or mobile operating system frequently.

Etax.com.au works on all browsers and all types of computers, including Apple computers, iOS devises (eg. iPhone and iPad), Android phones and tablets and all Windows computers. However, the security of your private information can be compromised by your own choice of software and whether you keep it up-to-date with the manufacturer’s latest updates.

Some browsers are known to be at higher risk. Older browsers such as Internet Explorer (including versions 8, 9 and 10) are out-of-date and should not be used; free updates are available from Microsoft.

Microsoft Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 95 and Windows 3.1 are no longer fully supported or updated by Microsoft. Those systems are viewed by Microft as being at “end of lifecycle” and may no longer receiving security updates, therefore it is generally recommended you should not use them to enter or store your private information (or at all).

At this time we are not aware of any security problems relating to current versions of the Apple Safari browser, but we do caution users to download updates from Apple whenever they are available.

Likewise, Apple users should use only current and supported versions of OSX and iOS. Online safety begins with having an updated computer or device.

Are you using an old computer and can’t update it – but you want to do your tax return right now? Consider using your mobile phone or tablet; Etax.com.au works fine on mobile devices.

Please remember to update your mobile device software just as you would a desktop or laptop computer.

## Security Reporting

Etax values the work of security experts inside and outside of our business. We’re committed to working with the community to reproduce and fix any problem, be it security-related or even just a little usability issue.

If you are a security researcher you can report any suspected security issue at security@etax.com.au. Please provide your name, contact details and business. Etax will prioritise encrypted reports; please provide your PGP public key. Click here for the Etax public key.

## Information Collected

The information that we will collect about you will depend on how you use the facilities offered at the Etax websites.

If you visit an unsecure area of the Etax website (that is, an area where you are not required to log on) to read, browse or download information, our system may record the date and time of your visit to our site, the pages viewed and any information downloaded. However, our systems will not record any personally identifiable information and no attempt will be made to match your visit to any personally identifiable details.

The Etax website offers a number of interactive facilities including the Etax Help service and forms for preparing your online tax return. If you decide to use one of these services, our system will record the information you enter during your use of the Etax websites.

The Etax websites may also contain links to the websites of third party providers of goods and services (“Third Party websites”). If you have accessed Third Party websites through the Etax website and if those third parties collect information about you, Etax may also collect or have access to that information as part of our arrangements with those third parties.

The Etax website may periodically be promoted using online display advertising and remarketing tools connected with Google Analytics. Etax and third-party vendors, including Google and Microsoft, use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) together to inform, optimize, and serve ads based on individuals’ past visits to this website. This is intended to help make ads relating to this site more relevant to people who have or have not visited this website and to minimise ads displayed to people who may not need the services of this site. Visitors can opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising and customize Google Display Network ads using Google’s Ads Settings.

Etax respects the choice of any individual to opt out of common web tracking systems and encourages concerned individuals to investigate the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Third Party websites should have their own privacy statements and those third parties are responsible for their own privacy practices.

## Cookies

We use “cookies” as a fundamental part of our interaction with your Internet browser. The purpose is to provide you with better and more customised service and with a more effective website.

A “cookie” is a small text file placed on your computer by our web server. A cookie can later be retrieved by our web servers. Cookies are frequently used on almost all websites and you can choose if and how a cookie will be accepted by configuring your preferences and options in your web browser.

Etax uses cookies for two different purposes. Unsecure areas of the website may allocate a cookie for purpose of:

  * Identifying your Internet browser as participating in the Etax Partners program; and
  * Storing information related to personalisation of the Etax website.



Etax also uses cookies for secure services (that is, an area where you are required to log on) on the Etax website. These cookies are used for a variety of purposes, including for security and personalisation reasons. If your browser is configured to reject all cookies you will be unable to use secure services on the Etax website that require cookies in order to participate. You may still be able to use some of the information-only pages even if you do not accept cookies.

## How we Handle Email

We will preserve the content of any email that you send us, if we believe that we have a legal requirement to do so. Your email message content may be monitored by our Etax employees for security issues including where email abuse is suspected; our response to you may be monitored for quality assurance issues.

If you’d like to unsubscribe from promotional emails, please simply click the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email or if you prefer simply contact us at admin@etax.com.au. Please note, as your tax agent, we have an obligation to send important tax related correspondence to you. Unsubscribing from our promotional emails will not affect obligatory tax related messages.

## Use and Disclosure of Information

We will only use or disclose personal information or information generated by cookies in accordance with this Security and Privacy Statement and specific and additional provisions relating to privacy which apply to certain areas of the Etax website.

## Acceptance and Changes to Security and Privacy Statement

You acknowledge and accept that your use of the Etax website indicates your acceptance of this Security and Privacy Statement.

This is the current Security and Privacy Statement. It replaces any other Security and Privacy Statement for the Etax website published on the Etax website to date. Etax may at any time vary the Security and Privacy Statement by publishing the varied Security and Privacy Statement on the Etax website. You accept that by doing this, Etax has provided you with sufficient notice of the variation.

## Terms and Conditions for this website

You acknowledge and accept that your use of the Etax.com.au website indicates your acceptance of the Website User Terms & Conditions.