Effective Date: April 15, 2026
At Steven M. Ellard, CPA, we recognize that the protection of your financial and personal information is a cornerstone of professional trust. This document outlines our protocols for managing the data generated when you interact with our digital presence, ensuring your sensitive details are handled with care.
1. Data Collection Protocols
Our company gathers information through two primary channels:
- Direct Engagement: We collect identifiers such as your name, professional email, and contact details only when you voluntarily submit them through our consultation forms and client or content portals.
- Digital Footprint: As you navigate our site, we automatically log technical data. This includes your network location (IP address), device characteristics, and the specific resources you interact with.
2. Digital Tracking and Remarketing
To refine our outreach and ensure we are providing relevant financial insights, this website utilizes tracking technologies including pixels and tags (such as those provided by Google and Meta).
- Purpose: These tools allow us to measure the performance of our content and serve tailored advertisements to individuals who have previously engaged with our site.
- User Control: You maintain control over these technologies. You can modify your browser settings to reject cookies.
3. Application of Collected Information
The data we collect is used strictly for the following professional purposes:
- Facilitating requested consultations or service inquiries.
- Distributing firm updates, tax alerts, and marketing materials you have opted to receive.
- Enhancing the technical performance and security of our web platform.
- Identifying and preventing fraudulent attempts to access our systems.
4. Information Safeguards and Third Parties
We do not participate in the sale or exchange of visitor data for profit. Information is only disclosed to verified service providers who assist in our firm’s operations—such as secure email hosting or website analytics—under strict confidentiality mandates. We reserve the right to disclose information if required by legal process or regulatory authority.
5. Commitment to Security
While we employ industry-standard data protection via third party systems, no digital transmission is entirely immune to risk. We encourage users to avoid sending sensitive documents (such as tax returns or Social Security numbers) through general web contact forms.
6. External Resources
Our articles and alerts often link to government agencies (like the IRS) or financial institutions. Steven M. Ellard, CPA does not oversee the privacy standards of these external entities. We advise reviewing their specific policies before sharing personal data on those platforms.
7. Global Standards and Children’s Privacy
Our services are directed toward adults and business entities; we do not intentionally collect data from individuals under the age of 13. Furthermore, users accessing this site from outside the United States acknowledge that their data will be processed and stored on U.S.-based servers.
8. Managing Your Privacy Choices
You may request to be removed from our marketing lists at any time via the “unsubscribe” link in our communications. For broader digital privacy, you may visit the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) to opt-out of interest-based tracking across the web.
9. Policy Amendments
We may adjust these protocols to reflect changes in privacy law or firm operations. Continued use of our website following an update signifies your awareness of the revised terms.
10. Direct Inquiries
For questions regarding this policy or our data management practices, please reach us directly:
Steven M. Ellard, CPA
info@stevenmellardcpa.com
Brewster Office
2759 Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631
Chatham Office
935 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633