Privacy Policy

Tax Help Finder ("we," "our," or "us") operates taxhelpfinder.com. Tax Help Finder is a service operated by JoeBondConsulting LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our CPA matching service.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you use our service, we collect the following information:

• Contact Information: First name, last name, email address, phone number, and ZIP code
• Tax Situation Details: Your tax filing needs, complexity factors (multi-state income, foreign income, cryptocurrency, stock options, itemized deductions, IRS issues), prior tax filing experience, and urgency level
• Communication Preferences: Your consent to be contacted via phone call, SMS text message, and email

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device information, operating system
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, referral source, UTM parameters
• Cookies: Session cookies for functionality (no advertising/tracking cookies currently deployed)

1.3 AI-Generated Information

We use artificial intelligence (OpenAI GPT-4) to analyze the information you provide and generate a quality score and recommendation about whether you need CPA assistance. This AI-generated analysis is stored with your lead record.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• CPA Matching: To match you with a qualified, licensed CPA in Oklahoma based on your tax situation
• Communication: To send you email confirmations, matched CPA details, and follow-up communications
• CPA Contact: To enable the matched CPA to contact you via phone call, SMS text message, or email as you consented
• Service Improvement: To analyze usage patterns and improve our matching algorithm
• Fraud Prevention: To detect and prevent fraudulent submissions, spam, and abuse (rate limiting, honeypot fields)
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Business Operations: To maintain records, provide customer support, and operate our business

3. How We Share Your Information

3.1 With Matched CPAs

We share your contact information and tax situation details with the ONE CPA you are matched with. This is the core purpose of our service. The CPA will use this information to contact you and provide a free consultation and quote.

3.2 With Service Providers

We use third-party service providers to operate our business. These providers have access to your information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf:

• Supabase: Database hosting and storage (data encrypted at rest)
• Vercel: Website hosting and infrastructure
• Resend: Email delivery service
• OpenAI: AI-powered lead qualification (data processed according to OpenAI's Business Terms)

All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the specified purposes.

3.3 Legal Disclosures

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, subpoena, or government request, or to protect our legal rights, safety, or property.

3.4 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or prominent notice on our website before your information is transferred.

3.5 What We Do NOT Do

We NEVER sell your personal information to third parties, data brokers, or marketers. We do not share your information with multiple CPAs or blast your details to our network. You are matched with ONE CPA only.

4. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL (HTTPS)
• Encryption at Rest: Data stored in our database is encrypted using AES-256 encryption
• Row-Level Security (RLS): Database access controls ensure data is only accessible to authorized parties
• Access Controls: Limited employee and service provider access on a need-to-know basis
• Rate Limiting: We limit form submissions to 3 per hour per IP address to prevent abuse
• Monitoring: We monitor for security incidents and unauthorized access

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Your Privacy Rights

5.1 General Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails (does not apply to transactional emails related to your CPA match)
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format

5.2 State-Specific Rights

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA): You have additional rights including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to opt-out of "sales" (we don't sell data), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights.

Other States: Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and other states with privacy laws may have similar rights. Contact us to exercise these rights.

5.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@taxhelpfinder.com. We will respond within 30 days (or as required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

6. Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Disclosure

By submitting your phone number and checking the consent box, you expressly consent to receive phone calls, SMS text messages, and emails from:

• Tax Help Finder (for confirmation and service-related communications)
• The licensed CPA you are matched with (for consultation and quotes)

You understand that:

• Consent is not a condition of purchase or service
• You may revoke consent at any time by emailing support@taxhelpfinder.com or replying STOP to any SMS message
• Message and data rates may apply from your mobile carrier
• You may receive autodialed or prerecorded calls/texts (though we currently do not use autodialing systems)

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Current Cookie Usage: We currently use only essential session cookies required for the website to function (e.g., maintaining your quiz progress). We do NOT currently use advertising, analytics, or third-party tracking cookies.

Future Use: If we add analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, PostHog) in the future, we will update this policy and may implement a cookie consent banner.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect website functionality.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for the following periods:

• Active Leads: Until the lead expires (typically 30 days) or is marked as converted
• Expired Leads: Up to 7 years for business records and legal compliance (accounting, tax, legal requirements)
• Marketing Opt-Outs: Indefinitely to honor your opt-out preferences
• Deletion Requests: Processed within 30 days unless legal obligations require retention

9. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Our service is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@taxhelpfinder.com and we will delete it promptly.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., CPA websites, Oklahoma Accountancy Board). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

11. International Users

Our service is currently available only in Oklahoma, United States. If you are accessing our website from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you via email (if we have your email address)
• Display a prominent notice on our website

Your continued use of our service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Do Not Track Signals

Our website does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" (DNT) browser signals because we do not engage in cross-site tracking.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date listed above and applies to all information collected through taxhelpfinder.com.