Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 16, 2026
Summary: Your data stays in Canada. We collect only what's needed to prepare your taxes. We never sell your information. You can request access, correction, or deletion at any time.
1. Who We Are
Ridgewood Tax ("we," "us," or "our") is a tax preparation service operated under Excinis Bookkeeping, a licensed Quebec tax preparation firm. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information in accordance with Quebec's Law 25 (Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector) and the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
2. Privacy Officer
Our Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with privacy legislation and handling all privacy-related inquiries:
Privacy Officer: Giovanni Qualizza, Excinis Bookkeeping
Email: Giovanni.Qualizza@excinis.ca
Address: 119 rue Gerard-Guindon, Kirkland, Quebec H9J 4C9
3. Information We Collect
We collect personal information necessary to prepare and file your income tax return. This includes:
3.1 Identity Information
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Mailing address
- Email address
- Phone number
- Marital status
3.2 Financial Information
- Employment income (T4, RL-1 slips)
- Investment income (T5, T3, RL-3 slips)
- Self-employment income and expenses
- Rental income and expenses
- Deduction receipts (RRSP, medical, charitable donations)
- Direct deposit banking information (optional)
3.3 Technical Information
- IP address and browser type (for security purposes)
- Form submission timestamps
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information solely for the following purposes:
- Tax Preparation: To prepare your federal (T1) and Quebec provincial (TP1) income tax returns
- Filing: To electronically file your returns with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Revenu Québec
- Communication: To contact you about your return, request missing documents, or provide updates
- Payment Processing: To process your payment through our secure payment provider (Stripe)
- Legal Compliance: To meet our obligations under tax and privacy legislation
We do not use your information for marketing purposes, and we do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
5. Data Residency and Processing
Your data stays in Canada. All document processing is performed locally in Quebec. Your tax documents are never sent to servers outside of Canada.
Specifically:
- Form submissions: Collected via MakeForms using Quebec-based data centers
- Document processing: Performed locally on secure systems in Quebec
- Database storage: Hosted in Montreal, Canada (Supabase ca-central-1 region)
- File storage: Google Workspace with Canadian data residency
- Payment processing: Stripe (PCI-DSS compliant, data processed in Canada where possible)
6. Who Has Access to Your Information
Access to your personal information is strictly limited to:
- Giovanni (Excinis Bookkeeping): Licensed tax preparer who prepares and files your return
- Ridgewood Tax operations team: For client communication and support
- CRA and Revenu Québec: When filing your return (with your authorization via T1013)
We do not share your information with any other third parties except as required by law.
7. Data Security
We implement robust security measures to protect your personal information:
- Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
- Access Controls: Strict access controls limit who can view your information
- Secure Storage: Documents stored on encrypted systems with FileVault protection
- SOC 2 Compliance: Our form provider (MakeForms) maintains SOC 2 Type II certification
- Regular Audits: We regularly review our security practices
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for seven (7) years from the date of filing, as required by the Canada Revenue Agency for tax records. After this period, your information is securely deleted.
You may request earlier deletion of your information, subject to our legal retention obligations.
9. Your Rights Under Law 25
Quebec's Law 25 grants you the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Right of Access: You may request a copy of all personal information we hold about you
- Right of Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate information
- Right of Deletion: You may request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent at any time (note: this may prevent us from completing your tax return)
- Right to Portability: You may request your information in a commonly used format
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer at info@ridgewood.tax. We will respond within 30 days.
10. Consent
By using our services and submitting your information through our intake forms, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.
For sensitive information such as your Social Insurance Number, we obtain your explicit consent before collection.
11. Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach that poses a risk of significant harm, we will:
- Notify affected individuals as soon as feasible
- Report the breach to the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec
- Take immediate steps to contain and remediate the breach
- Document the incident and our response
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
Email: info@ridgewood.tax
Website: ridgewood.tax