Privacy Policy
Last Updated: December 6, 2025
1. Introduction
Welcome to AlphaTax ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our tax optimization platform and services (the "Service").
By using AlphaTax, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Personal Information You Provide
When you create an account and use our Service, we collect:
- Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, password (encrypted)
- Tax Information: Social Security Number (SSN), filing status, state of residence, business structure, industry, dependent information, spouse information (if applicable)
- Financial Information: Income details, deductions, expenses, bank account information (through Plaid), payment card information (processed by Stripe), tax calculations and results
- Business Information: Business entity details, EIN (Employer Identification Number), business address, business income and expenses
- Communication Data: Support inquiries, feedback, email correspondence
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you access our Service, we automatically collect:
- Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on Service, clickstream data
- Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
- Log Data: Access times, error logs, performance data
- Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Session information, preferences, analytics data (see our Cookie Policy for details)
2.3 Information from Third-Party Sources
We may receive information from:
- Plaid: Bank account data, transaction information (with your authorization)
- QuickBooks/Xero: Business accounting data (with your authorization)
- Google Drive/Dropbox: Tax documents you upload (with your authorization)
- Payment Processors: Stripe for payment processing and transaction history
- Identity Verification Services: To verify your identity and prevent fraud
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
3.1 Service Delivery
- Calculate tax liability and identify potential deductions
- Generate IRS Form 1040 and related schedules
- Provide tax optimization recommendations
- Track expenses and categorize deductions
- Store and organize tax documents
- Generate quarterly tax estimates
3.2 Account Management
- Create and maintain your account
- Authenticate your identity
- Process subscription payments
- Provide customer support
- Send service-related notifications
3.3 Service Improvement
- Analyze usage patterns to improve features
- Develop new tax optimization algorithms
- Train AI models (using anonymized data only)
- Conduct research and analytics
- Test new features and functionality
3.4 Communication
- Send tax deadline reminders
- Notify you of identified deductions
- Provide quarterly estimate reminders
- Send product updates and newsletters (with your consent)
- Respond to your inquiries
3.5 Legal and Security
- Comply with legal obligations
- Prevent fraud and abuse
- Enforce our Terms of Service
- Protect our rights and property
- Respond to legal requests
- Maintain audit logs for security purposes
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:
4.1 Service Providers
We share information with third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf:
- Plaid: Secure bank account connections and transaction data retrieval
- Stripe: Payment processing (they never receive your full payment card information)
- Supabase/Vercel: Cloud hosting and data storage (SOC 2 Type II certified)
- Anthropic: AI-powered expense categorization using Claude API
- Resend: Email delivery services
- Analytics Providers: Google Analytics, PostHog (anonymized data)
- E-filing Partners: April or Column Tax for IRS e-filing services (when feature is launched)
All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and may only use it for specified purposes.
4.2 Business Transfers
If AlphaTax is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice on our Service of any change in ownership or use of your personal information.
4.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:
- Valid legal processes (subpoena, court order)
- Government or regulatory requests
- To protect our rights, property, or safety
- To prevent fraud or security threats
4.4 With Your Consent
We may share your information with third parties when you explicitly consent to such sharing.
4.5 Aggregated or Anonymized Data
We may share aggregated or anonymized data that cannot identify you individually for research, marketing, or analytics purposes.
5. Data Security
We implement robust security measures to protect your information:
5.1 Technical Safeguards
- Encryption: All data transmitted using TLS 1.3 encryption; sensitive data encrypted at rest using AES-256
- Access Controls: Row-level security ensuring each user can only access their own data, multi-factor authentication available
- Infrastructure Security: Hosted on SOC 2 Type II compliant platforms (Supabase, Vercel)
- HTTPS Enforcement: All traffic uses HTTPS with HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)
- Automated Backups: Daily encrypted backups stored securely in Cloudflare R2
- Rate Limiting: Protection against brute force attacks and DDoS
- Intrusion Detection: Real-time monitoring for suspicious activity
5.2 Organizational Safeguards
- Data Access Policies: Strict data access policies and procedures are documented and enforced to ensure only authorized personnel can access user data
- Security Reviews: Regular security reviews and updates are conducted quarterly to identify and address potential vulnerabilities
- Incident Response Procedures: We maintain a documented incident response plan to address security incidents promptly and effectively. Our incident response procedures include detection, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident review processes
- Data Breach Notification: We have established procedures for notifying affected users and relevant authorities in the event of a data breach, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. Our breach notification procedures ensure timely notification (typically within 30-60 days as required by law) and provide users with clear information about the incident and steps they can take to protect themselves
5.3 Access Logging
We maintain logs of data access for security and troubleshooting purposes. Access logs are retained for 90 days and include:
- Login attempts and authentication events
- Data access patterns
- Administrative actions
- API requests
5.4 SSN Protection
Social Security Numbers are encrypted with AES-256 encryption and accessible only for legitimate tax calculation purposes. SSN data is never displayed in full and is masked in all user interfaces.
5.5 GLBA Safeguards Rule Compliance
If applicable, AlphaTax complies with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) Safeguards Rule, which requires financial institutions to protect the security and confidentiality of customer information. Our compliance includes:
- Security Program: We maintain a comprehensive information security program with documented policies and procedures designed to protect your financial information
- Access Controls: We implement strict access controls to ensure only authorized personnel can access customer information
- Encryption: All financial information is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
- Vendor Oversight: We ensure that third-party service providers who have access to customer information maintain appropriate security safeguards
- Regular Reviews: We conduct regular security reviews and assessments to identify and address potential vulnerabilities
- Incident Response: We maintain documented incident response procedures to address any security incidents promptly
Important: No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information using industry-standard security measures, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Data Retention and Deletion
6.1 How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain your information as follows:
- Active Accounts: All data retained while your account is active and your subscription is current
- Tax Records: Retained for 7 years after account closure or data deletion request (IRS statute of limitations for audit)
- Financial Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years to comply with tax and financial regulations
- Backup Data: Retained for 30 days in encrypted backups, then permanently deleted
- Access Logs: Retained for 90 days for security monitoring
- Marketing Communications: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
- Anonymized Analytics: May be retained indefinitely as it cannot identify you
6.2 Account Deletion
You may request deletion of your account and data at any time through:
- Account settings (Delete Account option)
- Email to privacy@alphatax.com
- Written request to our mailing address
Upon deletion request:
- Your account access is immediately suspended
- All personal data is permanently deleted within 30 days
- Tax records may be retained for 7 years where legally required
- Anonymized data may be retained for analytics
- Backup copies are purged within 30 days
Important: Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. You will not be able to recover any data after deletion is complete.
6.3 Data Portability
Before deleting your account, you can download your data in machine-readable formats (CSV, PDF, JSON) through your account settings.
6.4 Legal Retention Requirements
We may retain data longer than requested if:
- Required by law or court order
- Necessary to resolve disputes or enforce agreements
- Needed for legitimate business purposes (e.g., preventing fraud)
- Subject to ongoing IRS audit or investigation
7. Data Breach Notification
7.1 Our Commitment
We take data security seriously and have implemented comprehensive measures to protect your information. However, in the unlikely event of a security incident affecting your personal information, we commit to:
Immediate Response:
- Contain and investigate the incident
- Assess the scope and impact
- Take corrective action to prevent recurrence
- Engage security experts as needed
Timely Notification:
We will notify you within 72 hours of discovering a breach that affects your personal information via:
- Email to your registered email address
- Prominent notice on our Service
- Direct communication for high-risk incidents
7.2 What We'll Tell You
Our breach notification will include:
- Nature of the security incident
- Types of information potentially affected
- What we've done to address the breach
- Steps you can take to protect yourself
- Contact information for questions
- Resources for credit monitoring (if applicable)
7.3 Regulatory Compliance
In addition to notifying you, we will:
- Report the breach to relevant authorities as required by law
- Cooperate with law enforcement investigations
- Document the incident and our response
- Conduct a post-incident review to improve security
7.4 Your Role in Security
You can help protect your account by:
- Using a strong, unique password
- Enabling multi-factor authentication
- Not sharing your credentials
- Reporting suspicious activity immediately
- Keeping your contact information current
8. Your Privacy Rights
8.1 Access and Portability
- Request a copy of your personal information
- Export your data in machine-readable formats (CSV, PDF, JSON)
- Download tax forms, receipts, and financial records
8.2 Correction
- Update or correct inaccurate information through account settings
- Request correction of incomplete data
- Modify your tax profile, deductions, and expenses
8.3 Deletion
- Request deletion of your personal information
- Delete your account and all associated data
- Note: We may retain data as required by law (7-year IRS retention) or for legitimate business purposes
8.4 Restriction
- Request restriction of processing for specific purposes
- Object to certain data processing activities
- Withdraw consent for optional features
8.5 Opt-Out
- Unsubscribe from marketing emails (via link in emails or account settings)
- Disable non-essential cookies (may affect Service functionality)
- Disconnect third-party integrations (Plaid, QuickBooks, etc.)
- Opt out of data sales (note: we do not sell data)
8.6 Access Logs
- Request information about who has accessed your data
- Review login history and account activity
- Monitor API access (if applicable)
To exercise these rights, contact us at:
- Email: privacy@alphatax.com
- Account Settings: Privacy & Security section
- Phone: 1-800-ALPHATAX
Response Time: We will respond to privacy requests within 30 days (45 days for complex requests). We may require identity verification before processing requests.
9. State-Specific Privacy Rights
9.1 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
Your Rights:
- Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
- Right to delete personal information
- Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights
- Right to correct inaccurate personal information
- Right to limit use and disclosure of sensitive personal information
Categories of Personal Information We Collect:
- Identifiers (name, email, SSN, IP address)
- Financial information (income, expenses, bank accounts)
- Internet activity (browsing history, feature usage)
- Professional information (business details, industry)
- Inferences (tax optimization recommendations, deduction suggestions)
Business Purposes for Collection:
- Providing tax calculation and optimization services
- Processing payments and managing subscriptions
- Customer support and communication
- Fraud prevention and security
- Legal compliance
- Service improvement and analytics
Third Parties We Share With:
- Service providers (Stripe, Plaid, Supabase, Anthropic, Resend)
- E-filing partners (April or Column Tax)
- Analytics providers (anonymized data only)
- Legal authorities (when required by law)
Sensitive Personal Information:
We collect and use SSN and financial account information solely for tax calculation purposes. We do not use or disclose sensitive information for purposes other than those permitted under CCPA.
Do Not Sell: We do not sell your personal information and have not sold personal information in the preceding 12 months.
To Submit a Request:
- Email: privacy@alphatax.com
- Phone: 1-800-ALPHATAX
- Online: Account Settings > Privacy Requests
We will verify your identity before processing requests. You may designate an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf with proper documentation.
9.2 Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah Residents
Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah have similar rights under their respective state privacy laws:
Your Rights:
- Access your personal information
- Correct inaccurate personal information
- Delete your personal information
- Obtain a copy of your data
- Opt out of targeted advertising (we do not engage in targeted advertising)
- Opt out of sale of personal information (we do not sell)
To Exercise Rights:
Contact privacy@alphatax.com or call 1-800-ALPHATAX
Appeals Process:
If we deny your privacy request, you may appeal by contacting privacy@alphatax.com within 30 days. We will respond to appeals within 45 days.
9.3 Other US States
We extend similar privacy rights to residents of all US states, even where not legally required. Contact us at privacy@alphatax.com to exercise your rights.
10. Children's Privacy
AlphaTax is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
If we learn we have collected information from a child under 18, we will:
- Delete the information immediately
- Terminate the account
- Notify the parent or guardian (if possible)
If you believe we have collected information from a child, contact us immediately at privacy@alphatax.com.
11. Third-Party Links and Services
11.1 External Links
Our Service may contain links to third-party websites, including:
- IRS.gov for tax forms and publications
- State tax authority websites
- Financial institutions
- Professional tax services
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.
11.2 Third-Party Integrations
When you connect third-party services (Plaid, QuickBooks, Google Drive, etc.), you authorize us to access data from those services as specified during connection. Your use of third-party services is governed by their terms and privacy policies.
11.3 E-filing Partners
When we launch e-filing functionality, your tax returns will be transmitted to our e-filing partners (April or Column Tax) for IRS submission. These partners are IRS Authorized e-file Providers and maintain their own privacy policies and security measures.
12. International Data Transfers
AlphaTax operates in the United States and is designed for US residents only. Your information is processed and stored on servers located in the United States.
If you access the Service from outside the US, please note:
- Your data will be transferred to and stored in the US
- US privacy laws may differ from your country's laws
- By using the Service, you consent to transfer of your data to the US
We use SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure providers (Supabase, Vercel) that maintain appropriate security safeguards for international data transfers.
13. Do Not Track Signals
Our Service does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" (DNT) browser signals or similar mechanisms. You can manage cookies and tracking through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect Service functionality.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
14.1 Updates
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect:
- Changes in our practices
- New features or services
- Legal or regulatory requirements
- User feedback
14.2 Notification
We will notify you of material changes by:
- Email notification to your registered email address (at least 30 days before changes take effect)
- Prominent notice on our Service
- Update to the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
- In-app notification for significant changes
14.3 Acceptance
Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to changes, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.
14.4 Previous Versions
You may request previous versions of this Privacy Policy by contacting privacy@alphatax.com.
15. Contact Us
For questions, concerns, or to exercise your privacy rights:
Privacy Inquiries:
- Email: privacy@alphatax.com
- Response time: Within 30 days (45 days for complex requests)
General Support:
Data Protection Officer:
Mailing Address:
AlphaTax, Inc.
Attn: Privacy Department
[Your Business Address]
Phone: 1-800-ALPHATAX
16. Definitions
Personal Information: Information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked to you, including name, email, SSN, financial data, and usage information.
Service: The AlphaTax platform, website (getalphatax.com), mobile applications (when available), and all related services and features.
Sensitive Information: Social Security Number, financial account information, precise geolocation data, and other data requiring enhanced protection.
Anonymized Data: Data that has been processed to remove all personally identifiable information and cannot reasonably be used to identify an individual.
Third Party: Any entity other than you or AlphaTax, including service providers, business partners, and other organizations.
Federal Tax Information (FTI): Tax return information you provide to AlphaTax, including income, deductions, and personal details used for tax calculations.
AlphaTax, Inc.
Committed to protecting your privacy and securing your financial data.
Last Updated: December 6, 2025