Our protection of information is explained in our privacy statement:
VIRTUAL HEIGHTS ACCOUNTING INC’s PRIVACY STATEMENT
At Virtual Heights Accounting Inc., respecting privacy is an important part of our commitment to our clients and employees, which is why we have an established privacy code. Virtual Heights Accounting Inc.’s Privacy Code is a statement of principles and guidelines regarding the minimum requirements for the protection of personal information provided by Virtual Heights Accounting Inc. to its clients and employees. The objective of our privacy code is to promote responsible and transparent personal information management practices in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) (PIPEDA).
We also developed Virtual Heights Accounting Inc.’s Privacy Statement. We want you to understand the purposes
for which we collect personal information. We also want to make certain we have your consent to continue
to collect, use and disclose your personal information for those purposes.
The following is a brief synopsis of our privacy practices:
Why do we need to collect your personal information?
If you are a client of Virtual Heights Accounting Inc., Virtual Heights Accounting Inc. may have collected some basic information about you. We respect your privacy, which is why we collect personal information only for the following purposes: To provide accounting and tax services in accordance with our engagement.
When do we disclose personal information?
Various circumstances under which we may need to disclose personal information about our clients include
when working with any 3rd party software or service providers to perform the accounting functions as noted in your engagement. We will use secure portals and only disclose information necessary for the completion of such tasks assigned. When working with 3rd parties we will do our best to ensure safeguards are in place and that they are treating the information in accordance with our own privacy standards.
How do we protect your personal information?
To protect your personal information, Virtual Heights Accounting Inc.:
- will not collect, use or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than those identified above, except with your further consent
- will protect your personal information with appropriate security safeguards
- will protect the confidentiality of your personal information when dealing with other organizations
- will strive to keep your personal information as accurate and up to date as is necessary for the purposes identified above
- will honour any request you may make for access to your personal information
What are your choices?
We would like to have your consent to continue to collect, use and disclose your personal information for the purposes identified above. However, you do have choices and can refuse or withdraw your consent as follows:
- You may refuse to provide your personal information to us.
- You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice.
However, in either case, this may limit our ability to serve you.
If you have any questions or concerns about our personal information management system and privacy statement, please contact the Virtual Heights Accounting Inc. Privacy Officer at 1-800-376-2082 or via info@vhaccounting.ca.
Please visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s website at www.priv.gc.ca.
Both. Our goal is to work with business owners to help them build their business the way they want to. Our service packages and levels are built around you and your goals for your business. They can include bookkeeping, accounting, tax as well as CFO and Controller services. The latter focuses around strategy, bench marking, financial targets and indicators and cash flows depending on your needs.
Virtual Heights Accounting provides accounting services over the internet and does not have a traditional business space. Another term for this is cloud-based and it simply means that instead of keeping your files in paper form in a filing cabinet or a shoebox, everything is securely stored online. The files are made available to you through encrypted access. This saves you from the dreaded waiting room when dealing with your accounting and business coaching needs.
Absolutely. We encourage direct contact. We can meet by phone but typically use Zoom meetings or Google Hangouts. We also have Slack available if your are looking for a “Text your accountant” option.
The CRA requires all records to be kept for seven years. Your records remain secured in our cloud-based records and are accessible to only you (and our staff) for this time. If you choose to change accountants, we can provide pdf backups of all records for this time period at your request. CRA does not require paper forms of records including what are referred to as source documents (receipts). The CRA requires books and records to be retained in Canada. We have systems in place with secure providers in Canada to ensure we are meeting this requirement.
We use Xero as our cloud based accounting and practice software. Xero uses security software that major financial institutions and banks use for things like your online banking. In fact, a lot of their security systems exceed the standards within the industry. The servers on which the information is stored are physically secured by restricted access and 24 hours a day guard surveillance. They are also protected by multiple firewalls and encrypted access. Most individuals and business owners cannot say the same for their worksites. For more information on Xero’s security check out their website https://www.xero.com/ca/accounting-software/security/.
Well it depends on the service level you have chosen and your specific needs. However, typically when you get an invoice or receipt you upload it to us through one of our recommended easy to use apps, the software program also syncs with your bank / credit cards to download bank and credit card transactions. We then complete the processing required saving you time and money and allowing us to provide a higher level service which will help you focus on what you do best (growing your business)!
No! We do the legwork with the accounting software and the apps we recommend are designed for business owners like you. All that is required is a phone (android or a smart phone) with data availability or an ipad and a willingness to learn. We provide the training!
Please contact us, and we can set up an appointment at your convenience. The first appointment is a free assessment in which we will talk about you (and your business). This will give us an idea of your accounting needs and takes about half hour to an hour. From this, we will prepare and email a quote package. After this, it is your decision is you think it will be a good fit. If you sign up, we begin our training and onboarding process.