This policy explains what information Astute Advisors, Inc. collects through this website, how we use it, and the choices you have. It covers visitors to the site and people who contact us or request a guide. It does not govern the tax return information or financial records of our clients. That information is protected by federal law and by our engagement agreements, and is described separately below.
Who we are
Astute Advisors, Inc. is a certified public accounting firm at 21515 Hawthorne Blvd. Ste 200, Torrance, CA 90503. Because we prepare income tax returns, we are also a "financial institution" under the FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314), and we are subject to IRS Circular 230 as tax practitioners. For any privacy question you can reach us at karen@astuteadvisors.co or (424) 226-8028.
Client tax information is handled separately
If you become a client, the information you give us to prepare or plan around your returns is not governed by this website policy. It is tax return information, and federal law restricts what we may do with it.
Under 26 U.S.C. § 7216 and Treasury Regulation § 301.7216, a tax return preparer may not disclose or use tax return information for any purpose other than preparing the return without the taxpayer's written consent or a specific exception recognized in the regulation. Violations carry criminal penalties under § 7216 and civil penalties under § 6713. We treat that as the governing rule for client information, and it is stricter than any website privacy policy.
Alongside that, we maintain a written information security plan as required by the FTC Safeguards Rule, follow the safeguarding guidance in IRS Publication 4557, and observe the confidentiality duties that Circular 230 and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct place on us. The scope of any engagement, and what we may do with your information within it, is set out in the engagement agreement you sign.
How we use artificial intelligence
We use AI tools in parts of our internal work, and we think you should know how. This section describes what we do and, just as importantly, what we do not do.
This website does not process your information with AI. Nothing you type into a form here, and nothing collected automatically as you browse, is sent to an AI service. The interactive tools embedded on this site run in your browser using fixed formulas, not a language model, and the figures you enter are not transmitted to us. Our separate calculator applications open on their own subdomains and carry their own notices.
Inside the firm, we use AI to assist with drafting, research, summarising documents, and reading figures off forms. Where we do, these rules apply:
- AI never replaces professional judgment. A CPA reviews any output before it informs advice or reaches a return. Circular 230 makes the practitioner responsible for the work, and a tool does not change that.
- We do not disclose tax return information to an AI provider except where § 7216 permits it, meaning with your written consent or under an exception the regulation recognizes.
- We use enterprise services under agreements that prohibit training on our data, not consumer chatbots. Free or personal-account AI tools are not permitted for client work.
- We require United States storage and processing where a provider offers it, because sending tax return information outside the country is itself a disclosure under § 7216.
- We send the minimum information a task needs, and we prefer ordinary software over AI whenever the data is structured enough that a formula will do.
- We do not use AI to make decisions about you without a person involved, and we do not use it for automated profiling.
If you would rather we did not use AI tools in any part of your engagement, tell us and we will accommodate that.
Information we collect
Information you give us. When you fill in a form on this site - a guide download, a contact request, or a consultation booking - we collect what you enter, which is usually your name and email address, and anything you choose to tell us in a message. Please do not send Social Security numbers, account numbers, or tax documents through this website. It is not the secure channel for that, and we will tell you which is.
Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we collect basic technical information when you visit: your device and browser type, the pages you view, and how you arrived at the site. This comes through cookies and analytics tools described below.
How we use your information
- To send you the guide or information you requested.
- To respond to your questions and follow up about working together.
- To send occasional emails about tax planning and firm updates, which you can stop at any time.
- To understand how the site is used and improve it.
- To meet our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.
The tools we use
We use GoHighLevel to store contacts and send email, and Google Analytics to understand site traffic. Video testimonials are embedded through YouTube's no-cookie domain, which does not set tracking cookies unless you play a video. These providers process information on our behalf under their own terms and are not permitted to use it for their own purposes. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
Cookies and analytics
This site uses cookies and similar technologies to keep the site working and to measure traffic through Google Analytics. You can control or block cookies in your browser settings. Blocking them will not stop you from using the site.
Marketing emails
If you give us your email, we may send you tax planning tips and firm news. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and we act on unsubscribe requests promptly. You can also email us to be removed at any time. Becoming a client does not put you on a marketing list automatically, and we do not use tax return information to decide what marketing to send you.
How long we keep information
We keep website enquiries and marketing contacts for as long as needed to respond to you, to send communications you have not opted out of, and to meet our record-keeping obligations. Client records are kept longer, because tax and professional standards require it, and are then disposed of securely. You can ask us to delete website information, subject to records we are required to retain.
How we protect information
We maintain a written information security plan as the FTC Safeguards Rule requires, and we apply administrative and technical safeguards including access controls, encryption in transit and at rest, and multi-factor authentication on the systems that hold client information. Documents move through a secure portal rather than email attachments. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we treat the protection of this information as a professional obligation rather than a preference.
If a security incident affects your information, we will notify you as the applicable law requires, including the FTC Safeguards Rule notification requirement and California breach notification law.
Your California privacy rights
If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it, to request a copy of it, to ask us to correct or delete it, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law. Note that information we collect as a financial institution under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act is treated under that law rather than the CCPA, which is why client tax information follows the rules described above. To make a request, contact us at karen@astuteadvisors.co and we will verify and respond as the law requires.
Children
This site is meant for business owners and adults. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16.
Links to other sites
Our site may link to other websites, including our booking and form tools. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of sites we do not operate, and we encourage you to read their policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the date at the top. Significant changes will be reflected on this page. Changes to this policy do not change the protections that federal law gives your tax return information.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or the information we hold can go to Astute Advisors, Inc., 21515 Hawthorne Blvd. Ste 200, Torrance, CA 90503, karen@astuteadvisors.co, or (424) 226-8028.