Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We may collect personal and business information that is reasonably necessary to operate our business and provide bookkeeping services.

Depending on your relationship with BrightPath Bookkeeping, this information may include:

• Name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, and other contact information;

• Business name, entity information, business address, and other business information;

• Financial and bookkeeping information, including transaction records, account balances, invoices, bills, vendor information, customer information, bank and credit card transaction data, and other records necessary to provide bookkeeping services;

• Payroll-related bookkeeping records and tax-related documentation that you choose to provide to us in connection with our services;

• Billing, invoicing, and payment information;

• Information submitted through our website forms, scheduling tools, client portals, email, text messages, telephone communications, or other communications;

• Information contained in QuickBooks Online or other systems that you authorize BrightPath Bookkeeping to access;

• Records relating to appointments, service requests, client communications, and account administration;

• Telephone call information, including audio, transcripts, summaries, call metadata, or information voluntarily provided during AI-assisted or other telephone interactions, where applicable; and

• Limited technical and website usage information, such as IP address, browser type, device information, referring pages, pages visited, timestamps, and website interactions.

We seek to collect only information that is reasonably necessary to provide our services, operate our business, communicate with clients and prospective clients, and satisfy applicable legal or contractual requirements.

2. Sources of Information

We may collect information:

• Directly from you when you contact us, complete a website form, schedule an appointment, call us, enter into a service agreement, communicate with us, or provide information in connection with our services;

• From accounting platforms, financial accounts, financial institutions, payment platforms, or other systems that you authorize us to access;

• From employees, representatives, accountants, tax professionals, attorneys, advisors, or other persons you authorize to provide information on your behalf;

• From third-party service providers that support scheduling, communications, telephone services, artificial intelligence, payment processing, website operations, document management, or bookkeeping services;

• Automatically through our website through cookies, analytics technologies, IP addresses, browser information, and similar technologies; and

• From publicly available business sources when reasonably necessary for legitimate business purposes.

3. How We Use Information

We may use information for legitimate business purposes, including to:

• Provide bookkeeping, reconciliation, financial reporting, cleanup, and related services;

• Maintain accurate financial records within QuickBooks Online and other authorized systems;

• Communicate with clients and prospective clients regarding services, inquiries, appointments, and accounts;

• Answer and route incoming telephone calls;

• Provide AI-assisted customer service and administrative support;

• Schedule consultations, meetings, and service appointments;

• Provide customer service and respond to requests;

• Establish, administer, and maintain client relationships;

• Process billing, invoicing, and payments;

• Operate, maintain, secure, and improve our website, telephone systems, and business systems;

• Manage internal operations, quality control, and service delivery;

• Create appropriate call summaries, notes, follow-up tasks, and business records;

• Prevent fraud, unauthorized access, security incidents, or misuse of our systems;

• Maintain appropriate business and financial records;

• Enforce our agreements and protect our legal rights;

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, and professional obligations; and

• Perform other activities reasonably necessary to operate BrightPath Bookkeeping and provide requested services.

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not sell or rent personal information for monetary consideration.

4. QuickBooks Online

BrightPath Bookkeeping uses QuickBooks Online, a cloud-based accounting platform provided by Intuit Inc., as our primary bookkeeping system.

Client information maintained in QuickBooks Online may be used for:

• Bookkeeping and transaction categorization;

• Bank and credit card reconciliation;

• Accounts payable and accounts receivable bookkeeping;

• Financial reporting;

• Bookkeeping cleanup and review;

• Account administration; and

• Other bookkeeping services authorized by the client.

Access to QuickBooks Online is limited to authorized personnel acting on behalf of BrightPath Bookkeeping and is subject to role-based permissions and access controls.

QuickBooks Online maintains its own technology infrastructure, security controls, privacy practices, and terms of service. BrightPath Bookkeeping does not control Intuit's infrastructure and relies on the security and compliance safeguards provided by Intuit.

Clients should review Intuit's applicable privacy and security policies for additional information regarding how QuickBooks Online processes and protects information.

5. Offshore Support and International Access

To support operational efficiency, service continuity, scalability, and quality of service, BrightPath Bookkeeping may utilize trained offshore bookkeeping personnel and contractors operating under our supervision.

When offshore personnel are used:

• Access is limited to QuickBooks Online and other systems specifically approved by BrightPath Bookkeeping;

• Role-based permissions are used to limit access to the information reasonably necessary to perform assigned responsibilities;

• Offshore personnel are not authorized to download, copy, store, or retain client information locally unless specifically approved by BrightPath Bookkeeping for a legitimate business purpose;

• Offshore personnel are subject to confidentiality agreements, data protection requirements, and BrightPath Bookkeeping policies;

• Access credentials and permissions are managed and reviewed by BrightPath Bookkeeping;

• Client information is intended to remain within BrightPath-approved secure cloud-based systems and is not authorized to be stored locally by offshore personnel; and

• BrightPath Bookkeeping maintains responsibility and oversight for services performed by offshore personnel.

Because offshore personnel may perform services from locations outside the United States, authorized personnel may access client information from other countries. Such access remains subject to BrightPath Bookkeeping's contractual, confidentiality, technical, administrative, and access-control requirements.

6. SMS and Text Messaging

If you provide your telephone number and opt in to receive text messages from BrightPath Bookkeeping LLC, we may use your telephone number to send:

• Appointment confirmations and reminders;

• Responses to inquiries;

• Service-related communications;

• Account-related communications;

• Customer-support messages; and

• Marketing or promotional messages only when you have separately provided the consent required for those communications.

Message frequency may vary.

Message and data rates may apply.

You may opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP. You may request assistance by replying HELP.

Providing a telephone number does not automatically enroll you in marketing text messages.

Marketing or promotional text messages are sent only after you provide the applicable express consent through a separate opt-in checkbox, form, or other approved consent method.

Consent to receive marketing text messages is not a condition of purchasing BrightPath Bookkeeping services.

Mobile Information and SMS Consent

No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

Information sharing with subcontractors or service providers that support our business operations, such as customer service, scheduling, communications, or technology support, is permitted only as necessary to provide services on behalf of BrightPath Bookkeeping LLC.

All other use case categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

BrightPath Bookkeeping LLC does not sell, rent, trade, or transfer mobile telephone numbers, SMS opt-in information, or SMS consent records to third parties, affiliates, lead generators, or other organizations for their own marketing or promotional purposes.

Service providers that process text messages or communications on behalf of BrightPath Bookkeeping may process mobile information only as necessary to provide services to BrightPath Bookkeeping and are not authorized to use such information for their own marketing purposes.

7. Voice AI and Automated Telephone Communications

BrightPath Bookkeeping LLC may use artificial intelligence (“AI”) and automated technologies to answer and assist with incoming telephone calls.

When you call BrightPath Bookkeeping, you may interact with an AI-powered virtual assistant rather than, or before being connected to, a human representative.

The AI assistant may be used to:

• Answer general questions about BrightPath Bookkeeping and its services;

• Identify the purpose of your call;

• Collect contact information and information you voluntarily provide;

• Schedule, confirm, modify, or cancel appointments;

• Route calls or requests to an appropriate BrightPath Bookkeeping representative;

• Provide basic customer service or account-related assistance;

• Create call summaries, notes, or follow-up tasks; and

• Assist BrightPath Bookkeeping with administrative and service-delivery functions.

Information Processed During AI-Assisted Calls

Depending on the nature of the call and the technologies used, information processed during a telephone interaction may include:

• Your name, telephone number, and other contact information;

• The date, time, and duration of the call;

• Information you voluntarily provide during the conversation;

• Audio associated with the call, when recording or audio processing is enabled;

• A transcript or automated transcription of the conversation;

• Call summaries, classifications, notes, or other information generated from the conversation; and

• Technical information necessary to operate, secure, and improve the telephone communication system.

BrightPath Bookkeeping may use this information for purposes such as responding to inquiries, providing requested services, scheduling appointments, maintaining appropriate business records, improving customer service, routing requests, quality assurance, security, and follow-up communications.

AI Transparency

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not intend for its AI-powered telephone assistants to impersonate a human representative.

Callers will be informed at the beginning of an applicable call that they are communicating with an AI-powered or automated assistant.

When reasonably available, a caller may request assistance from a human representative. Availability of a human representative may depend on business hours, staffing, and the nature of the request.

Call Recording and Transcription

Certain telephone calls may be recorded, transcribed, summarized, or otherwise processed using automated technologies for customer service, quality assurance, training, documentation, security, scheduling, or other legitimate business purposes.

Where notice or consent to recording is required by applicable law, BrightPath Bookkeeping will provide appropriate notice or obtain required consent before recording the call.

If a caller does not wish to continue with a recorded or AI-assisted interaction, the caller may inform the AI assistant or contact BrightPath Bookkeeping through another available communication method.

Use of AI Service Providers

BrightPath Bookkeeping may use third-party technology providers to provide telephone, transcription, AI, automation, customer relationship management, scheduling, or related services.

These service providers may process call audio, transcripts, telephone numbers, contact information, and other information provided during the call only as reasonably necessary to provide services to BrightPath Bookkeeping or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not authorize its service providers to use information obtained from BrightPath Bookkeeping telephone calls for their own independent marketing purposes.

Automated Processing and Human Review

AI-generated responses, summaries, transcripts, or classifications may contain errors or inaccuracies.

BrightPath Bookkeeping may review, correct, or supplement AI-generated information when appropriate.

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not rely solely on an AI telephone assistant to make legal, financial, credit, employment, or other decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning an individual.

Callers should not provide passwords, authentication codes, Social Security numbers, full payment-card numbers, or other highly sensitive credentials to an AI telephone assistant unless specifically requested through an approved secure process.

8. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies, pixels, analytics tools, and similar technologies to:

• Operate website functionality;

• Improve website usability;

• Understand website traffic;

• Measure website performance;

• Identify technical issues; and

• Better understand how visitors interact with our website.

These technologies may collect information such as:

• IP address;

• Browser type;

• Device type;

• Operating system;

• Referring website or page;

• Pages visited;

• Date and time of visits; and

• Website interactions.

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not intentionally use website analytics technologies to collect information contained within client bookkeeping records or financial accounts.

You may be able to manage cookies through your browser settings or other privacy controls provided by your browser or device.

Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of portions of our website.

9. Third-Party Service Providers

BrightPath Bookkeeping may use trusted third-party service providers to operate our business and provide services.

Categories of service providers may include:

• Accounting and bookkeeping platforms;

• Cloud hosting providers;

• Document management and file-storage providers;

• Customer relationship management platforms;

• Scheduling providers;

• Email, telephone, and text communication providers;

• Artificial intelligence and automation providers;

• Transcription and voice-processing providers;

• Payment processors;

• Website hosting and website technology providers;

• Information technology and cybersecurity providers;

• Professional advisors, such as accountants, attorneys, and consultants; and

• Contractors and subcontractors supporting BrightPath Bookkeeping operations.

These providers may receive or access information only as reasonably necessary to perform services on behalf of BrightPath Bookkeeping or as otherwise permitted by law.

We expect service providers that process information on our behalf to maintain appropriate confidentiality, privacy, and security safeguards.

Third-party providers operate under their own terms, policies, infrastructure, and security practices. BrightPath Bookkeeping does not control the independent privacy practices of third-party providers.

10. Information Sharing and Disclosure

BrightPath Bookkeeping may disclose information in limited circumstances, including:

• With your consent or at your direction;

• To employees, contractors, and authorized offshore personnel who require access to provide BrightPath Bookkeeping services;

• To service providers performing services on our behalf;

• To AI, telephone, transcription, communications, or automation providers that process information on our behalf;

• To accountants, CPAs, tax professionals, attorneys, financial professionals, or other professional advisors at your request or with your authorization;

• To comply with applicable laws, regulations, subpoenas, warrants, court orders, governmental requests, or other legal processes;

• When reasonably necessary to detect or prevent fraud, unauthorized activity, security threats, or misuse;

• When reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property, safety, or security of BrightPath Bookkeeping, our clients, or others;

• To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims;

• In connection with collection of amounts owed to BrightPath Bookkeeping; or

• In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing transaction, sale of assets, business reorganization, succession, or similar business transaction, subject to applicable confidentiality and privacy obligations.

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not sell, rent, or trade client financial records or personal information to data brokers or unrelated third parties for their own independent marketing purposes.

11. Sale, Targeted Advertising, and Profiling

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not currently sell personal information as that term is defined under applicable state privacy laws.

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not currently process personal information for targeted advertising based on activities across unrelated websites or services as those terms may be defined under applicable privacy laws.

BrightPath Bookkeeping does not currently use personal information to conduct automated profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning individuals.

The use of an AI-powered telephone assistant for customer service, scheduling, administrative support, call routing, or summarization is not intended to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning an individual.

If our practices materially change, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide any notices or opt-out rights required by applicable law.

12. Data Security

BrightPath Bookkeeping implements reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards intended to protect information against unauthorized access, acquisition, loss, misuse, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

These measures may include:

• Role-based access controls;

• Credential and password controls;

• Multi-factor authentication when supported by applicable systems;

• Secure cloud-based systems;

• Controlled document handling;

• Confidentiality agreements with employees and contractors;

• Access restrictions based on job responsibilities;

• Periodic access reviews;

• Internal policies and procedures;

• Security practices for third-party systems; and

• Measures intended to limit unauthorized downloading or local storage of client information.

No method of electronic transmission, telephone communication, AI processing, cloud processing, or electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Accordingly, BrightPath Bookkeeping cannot guarantee absolute security but maintains safeguards designed to reduce risk and protect sensitive information.

13. Data Retention

BrightPath Bookkeeping retains information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which the information was collected or as otherwise required or permitted by law.

Retention periods may vary depending on:

• The type of information;

• The nature and duration of the client relationship;

• Contractual requirements;

• Client instructions;

• Accounting and tax recordkeeping requirements;

• Applicable statutes of limitation;

• Legal and regulatory obligations;

• Fraud prevention and security requirements;

• Dispute resolution and legal claims; and

• Legitimate business and operational needs.

Telephone call recordings, transcripts, summaries, and AI-generated records, where created, may be retained for customer service, documentation, quality assurance, security, legal, or legitimate business purposes in accordance with our retention practices.

When information is no longer reasonably required, BrightPath Bookkeeping may securely delete, destroy, anonymize, or archive the information in accordance with applicable law and our internal practices.

Backups and archival copies may remain in secure systems for a limited period after active records are deleted.

14. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding personal information we maintain about you.

These rights may include the right to:

• Confirm whether we process personal information about you;

• Request access to certain personal information;

• Request correction of inaccurate personal information;

• Request deletion of certain personal information;

• Request a copy of certain personal information in a portable format;

• Opt out of the sale of personal information where applicable;

• Opt out of targeted advertising where applicable;

• Opt out of certain automated profiling where applicable; and

• Appeal a decision regarding a privacy rights request where required by law.

BrightPath Bookkeeping will honor applicable privacy rights to the extent required by applicable law.

Submitting a Privacy Request

To submit a privacy request, contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (832) 742-7675

Please identify your request as a “Privacy Request.”

We may request reasonable information necessary to verify your identity or authority before processing a request.

An authorized agent may submit a request on behalf of another person where permitted by applicable law, subject to reasonable verification of the agent's authority.

Certain information may be exempt from access, correction, deletion, or other requests when retention or processing is permitted or required for purposes such as:

• Providing requested services;

• Completing financial or bookkeeping records;

• Complying with legal obligations;

• Maintaining business records;

• Detecting or preventing fraud;

• Protecting information security;

• Establishing or defending legal claims; or

• Exercising other rights permitted by law.

We will respond to verified requests within the time required by applicable law.

Privacy Appeals

If applicable law provides you with the right to appeal a decision concerning a privacy request, you may submit an appeal using the contact information above and identify the request as a “Privacy Appeal.”

15. Security Incidents

If BrightPath Bookkeeping becomes aware of a security incident involving personal information, we will investigate the incident and take reasonable steps to contain, mitigate, and remediate the issue as appropriate.

Where notification is required by applicable law, BrightPath Bookkeeping will provide required notifications to affected individuals, governmental authorities, or other parties in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

16. Children's Privacy

BrightPath Bookkeeping provides business bookkeeping services and our website is intended primarily for business owners, professionals, and other adults.

Our services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13 through our website.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child in circumstances prohibited by applicable law, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information.

17. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our website or communications may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties.

BrightPath Bookkeeping is not responsible for the privacy practices, security practices, content, or policies of third-party websites or services that we do not control.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of those third parties before providing information to them.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

BrightPath Bookkeeping may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in:

• Our business practices;

• Services;

• Technology;

• Artificial intelligence or automated technologies;

• Third-party providers;

• Legal requirements; or

• Privacy and security practices.

When we update this Privacy Policy, we will post the revised version on our website and update the “Last Updated” date above.

Material changes may also be communicated through other reasonable means where appropriate or required by law.

Your continued use of our website or services after an updated Privacy Policy becomes effective will be governed by the revised policy to the extent permitted by applicable law.

19. Contact Information

For questions regarding this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, the use of AI technologies, or the handling of personal information, please contact:

BrightPath Bookkeeping LLC

Privacy-related requests should include “Privacy Request” in the subject line or description whenever possible.

Phone: (832) 742-7675

Email: [email protected]