Privacy Policy

Who we are

Ding Accounting is a trading name of Christina Ding, an ICB Licensed bookkeeper and Registered Tax Practitioner based in Southbourne, Dorset, UK. Christina Ding is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

If you have any questions about this policy or how your data is handled, you can contact us using the details on our Contact page.

What data we collect and when

We collect personal data in the following circumstances.

When you use our contact form or book a free call:

• Your name and email address
• Any information you choose to include in your message
• Your approximate business type or turnover, if you share it

During onboarding as a client:

• Your full name, address, and contact details
• National Insurance number and Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), where relevant
• Business name, trading address, and Companies House number, where applicable
• Financial records including bank statements, invoices, receipts, and payroll data
• Information required for HMRC Self Assessment or Corporation Tax returns

Automatically when you visit this website:

• Basic analytics data such as pages visited and general location (country or region)
• Device type and browser, used to ensure the site works correctly

Why we collect it and our legal basis

We collect and use your data for the following purposes, each supported by a legal basis under UK GDPR.

• To respond to enquiries and provide quotes. Legal basis: legitimate interests (running a business and responding to potential clients).
• To deliver bookkeeping, tax, and accounts services you have engaged us for. Legal basis: performance of a contract.
• To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including HMRC filing requirements, anti-money laundering (AML) supervision, and professional body standards. Legal basis: legal obligation.
• To send you occasional service updates or relevant information, where you have given consent. Legal basis: consent. You can withdraw this at any time.

Who we share your data with

We do not sell your data. We share it only where necessary to deliver our service or meet legal requirements.

• HMRC, when filing Self Assessment returns, Corporation Tax returns, or other statutory submissions on your behalf.
• Companies House, for annual accounts filing where required.
• Cal.eu, our appointment booking platform: your name and email are processed by their platform when you book a call. Please review their own privacy policy.
• Netlify, which hosts this website and processes enquiries submitted through our contact form.
• Xero, our cloud accounting software, where it is used to prepare your bookkeeping and accounts. If a different platform is agreed with you at onboarding, we will tell you which one.
• Microsoft OneDrive, used for secure storage of client records and working files.
• Our professional indemnity insurer, if a claim or dispute arises.

All third-party processors are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with UK GDPR.

How long we keep your data

We retain data for as long as needed to deliver our service and meet our legal obligations.

• Client records including tax and accounts data: a minimum of 6 years from the end of the relevant tax year, in line with HMRC requirements.
• AML identification records: 5 years from the end of a business relationship, as required under the Money Laundering Regulations.
• General enquiry data (non-clients): up to 12 months, then deleted.

When retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

How we protect your data

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. This includes password-protected systems, encrypted file storage, and limiting access to data on a need-to-know basis.

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. If you send us sensitive information by email, please be aware of this risk.

Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data. To exercise any of them, contact us using the details on our Contact page and we will respond within one calendar month.

• Right of access. You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification. You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure. You can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances, subject to our legal obligations to retain it.
• Right to restriction. You can ask us to limit how we use your data while a dispute is resolved.
• Right to object. You can object to processing based on legitimate interests, including any direct marketing.
• Right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent or a contract, you can ask us to provide your data in a portable format.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

Cookies

This website currently uses only essential cookies required for the site to function. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies. If we add any analytics or third-party tools in future, this policy will be updated and a cookie notice will be added to the site.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, the date at the bottom of this page will change. If there are significant changes, we will notify active clients directly.