Our Privacy Arrangements

Who we are:

We are a multidisciplinary practice that offers Audit & Assurance, Accounting, Business Services, Taxation and Financial Planning services.

The entities included in rdl group and their respective activities are as follows:

• rdl.accountants Pty Ltd – provides accounting, taxation, business services and audit
• rdl.financial planning Pty Ltd – provides financial planning services under a Corporate Authorised Representative of rdl.financial group Pty Ltd.
• rdl.financial group Pty Ltd – Holder of AFSL 515203

 

What is the purpose of this policy?

This policy provides you with information about:

• The personal information that rdl group collects about you
• How we handle your information, including how we use, disclose and keep it secure, and
• How you can access your personal information or make a complaint about our handling of your information.

As a business operating in Australia, we are required to adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act), which regulate the collection, storage, use, and disclosure of personal and sensitive information. In addition, they also give individuals the right to access and correct any personal information that we have collected about them.

We provide professional accounting, audit & assurance, taxation, business advisory, and financial planning services to individuals, businesses, and entities. In doing so, we collect and handle personal information necessary to deliver these services and meet our regulatory obligations.

What personal information we collect

The personal information we collect depends on the type of services we provide to you. It may include:

General information

• Name, address, phone number, and email address
• Date of birth, gender, occupation, and employment details
• Identification documents (e.g. driver’s licence, passport)

Financial and taxation information

• Tax file number (TFN), ABN, and related records
• Income, assets, liabilities, and expenses
• Bank account, superannuation, and investment details
• Insurance and retirement planning information

Employment and business information

• employer or business details, ABN, financial statements, and related records.

Sensitive information

• Health information relevant to insurance, superannuation, or estate planning
• Membership of professional or trade associations (if relevant)

Government identifiers

• TFN, ABN, or Medicare number, where required by law.

We will only collect sensitive information with your consent or when authorised by law.

How we collect your information

We collect personal information through:

• Direct contact with you (in person, by phone, email, or online).
• Forms, questionnaires or fact finding documents completed by you or information you provide when engaging our services.
• Third parties, such as employers, financial institutions, product issuer, ATO, or other government bodies (with your consent).
• Publicly available sources, where appropriate and lawful.

When providing financial advice, we are required under the Corporations Act and AML/CTF legislation to verify your identity before providing services.

Why we collect and use your information

We collect, hold, and use your personal information for purposes including:

• Providing accounting, taxation, business, and financial planning services.
• Preparing and lodging tax returns, BAS statements, and other compliance documents.
• Developing and implementing financial plans, investment strategies, and superannuation advice.
• Recommend financial products and strategies suitable to your circumstances.
• Arrange and manage investments, superannuation, and insurance products.
• Comply with our AFSL obligations, including record-keeping, monitoring, and reporting.
• Communicating with you and managing our relationship.
• Meeting our legal and professional obligations (including under the Corporations Act, Tax Agent Services Act, and ASIC and ATO requirements).
• Managing and improving our business operations and services.

Direct marketing

We may use your personal information for direct marketing purposes with your consent or as permitted by law. You may opt out of our marketing communications at any time by contacting us.

Disclosure of personal information

We may disclose your personal information to:

• Your authorised representatives, such as accountants, solicitors, or family members (where authorised by you)
• Product issuers, financial institutions, insurers, and superannuation funds
• Government agencies and regulators (e.g. ATO, ASIC, AUSTRAC) where required by law
• External auditors, compliance consultants, and professional advisers
• IT, cloud storage, and administrative service providers who assist us in operating our business
• Regulatory or law enforcement bodies, if required or authorised by law.

We may also disclose your personal information to third parties to verify your identity or meet Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) obligations.

rdl group has staff located outside Australia who can access certain client data held in secure rdl group systems to provide support. Where your information is shared with a third party outside of Australia, we will take reasonable steps to satisfy ourselves the third party has arrangements to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to any third parties.

Data security and storage

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

We store information electronically in secure databases and systems, or in paper files kept in secure premises.

We are required under AFSL and taxation laws to retain certain records for specific periods.

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

We comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme. If a data breach occurs that is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify you and the OAIC as required by law.

Retention and destruction

We retain certain records for minimum periods required by law (e.g., 7 years for financial records under the Corporations Act). When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it unless retention is required by law.

Sensitive information

We only collect sensitive information with your consent or as authorised by law. Additional protections apply to health information and Tax File Numbers (TFNs) under OAIC guidelines.

Automated decision-making

If we use automated decision-making tools that significantly affect you, we will disclose this and explain your rights.

Accessing and correcting your information

You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information by contacting us using the details below.

We will respond to your request within a reasonable time. If we refuse access or correction, we will explain the reasons why and outline how you can make a complaint.

Complaints and enquiries

If you have a concern or complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in writing.

We will investigate and respond to your complaint promptly. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992

Updates to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation or our practices. The updated version will be published on our website with the revised “last updated” date.

Contact us

For any questions, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact:

Privacy Officer

rdl group

PO Box 1088, Blackburn North, Vic., 3130

Email: contact@rdlaccountants.com.au

Phone: (03) 9878 1477