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 you to help you build your business the way you want to. Our service packages and levels are built around you and your goals for your business. They can include bookkeeping, tax (corporate and personal), year-end, and other accounting services. We are business accountants and tax advisors but as part of that will also complete personal tax returns for our corporate clients. We do also onboard sole proprietors (unincorporated businesses) however these spots can be more limited. Please get in touch to see the options available.
Virtual Heights Accounting provides accounting services remotely 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 bookkeeping, accounting, and tax needs. Instead, you submit your documents when you can from where you are. Our team then works on them and we connect either electronically (checklists, email etc) or meet via a video meet platform (Zoom or Teams) or by phone for any questions and final release. We can even offer a video release option. Our accounting services are designed with you, the customer, at top of mind.
Absolutely. We encourage direct contact. We can meet by phone but typically use Zoom meetings, Teams, or Google Meet.
Our project management solution is also integrated with a checklist system that allows you to comment directly on tasks and our staff will be able to comment back. In this way, we can keep conversations about specific items or requests in one area. For access, you are sent a direct link to the checklist or you can create a login for our client portal. You will see the client portal option in the top menu on our website.
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 package you have chosen and your specific needs.
Bookkeeping: For our bookkeeping plans, 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 of service that will help you focus on what you do best (your business!).
Year End and Tax: You receive our custom checklists via email that requests the specific items we need to get started. You will be able to comment and upload items directly to the checklist. You can also create a client portal to access current and past checklists right from our website. Once you have uploaded the requested items or commented, you then mark the item as complete. The work is then deployed to our staff and we can get started on your year-end processes. We will then be in touch on any additional items as they come up.
Other Services: Can be provided and will likely follow a similar flow to the explanations above.
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 a half hour. From this, we will prepare and email a quote package that includes our engagement letter (a requirement as we are a Canadian CPA firm). After this, it is your decision if you think it will be a good fit. If you are ready to sign up, you sign off on the engagement letter/quote and this starts the onboarding process.