November 20, 2009	Privacy Policy     Taxes by Experts is the sole owner of the information collected on www.TaxesbyExperts.com. Your privacy is very important to Taxes by Experts. We are providing this statement to inform you about the types of information we collect from you, and how we may use or disclose that information in connection with your business relationship with Taxes by Experts. Be sure to read the Privacy/Security Policy below, as it pertains to your use of this website ("Online Tax Return Program").     Our Commitment to Privacy     Taxes by Experts is committed to keeping your information private and recognizes the importance all customers place on the privacy and confidentiality of their information. While new technologies allow us to more efficiently serve our clients, we are committed to maintaining the rigorous privacy standards that are synonymous with our established and trusted name.     In keeping with our Privacy/Security Policy, we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available throughout our web site as well as on our tax screens within the Online Tax Return Program.     Covered Web Sites     The Privacy/Security Policy described herein is applicable to this entire web site, including all areas where financial information is gathered and income tax data is input, printed and/or transmitted. It does not apply to any other online services.     Third party web sites such as www.sbbtral.com, www.irs.gov, operate under their own privacy and security polices.     As an Authorized IRS e-file provider our company adheres to Federal and State regulations designed to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal information shared with our company. Taxes by Experts exceeds the Federal requirements and meets or exceeds our industry standards for privacy and security.     Taxes by Experts has created an online tax return program designed to quickly and easily fulfill tax compliance requirements in the United States. We have developed this application using the most sophisticated encryption technology on the market. Security is our top priority and protecting privacy is what you should expect from Taxes by Experts.     Because of the financial nature of our business, our Web site is not designed to appeal to children under the age of 13. Therefore, we do not knowingly attempt to solicit or receive any information from children.     Our site has a signed Certificate: Our certificate, signed by industry recognized certificate authority Thawte Consulting ensures that you are communicating with the real Taxes by Experts service.     Our Commitment to Data Security     To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of personal and tax information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.     Internal Controls     When collecting, storing and retrieving your personal data, extensive internal controls are maintained throughout the process to ensure security and confidentiality.     Our Internet-based systems are protected behind firewalls, and all mission critical servers are deployed in a cluster environment to provide an even greater level of security and protection against system failure. All data is maintained and backed-up on a regular schedule to provide adequate redundancy and ensure that the integrity of information is never jeopardized.     Our employees are subject to strict guidelines regarding confidentiality, and internal access to customer data is restricted to highly trained personnel on an "as-needed" basis. Information you provide to us is used strictly for lawful purposes and is never shared with Federal, State or other taxing authorities without your consent, except as required by law.     Transmitting Information     When transmitting information between you and our server, as well as when communicating with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for electronic filing, data security is handled through a protocol called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL is an established and mature Internet security standard with two dominant features: web server authentication and data encryption.      Data Encryption Data encryption is the process of transforming legible information into a complex arrangement of illegible information. SSL uses a private/public key combination to encrypt data when it is sent and to decrypt data when it is received. SSL encrypts data using a mathematical formula, also referred to as a "key." Encryption strength is measured by the length of the key used to encrypt the data; the longer the key, the more effective the encryption. Using the SSL protocol, data transmission between you and our web server is performed at a standard level of encryption strength. Web Server Authentication An SSL certificate is issued to ensure authentic and accurate identification of a secured web server. This translates into a digital ID, an electronic fingerprint, which is included in the key used to encrypt the data. Only our web server, in this case, is able to decrypt the data that you transmit because it is the intended (and digitally certified) secured web server for this data transmission.     Taxes by Experts collects information from our users at several different points on our Online Tax Return Program.     Registration     In order to use this Online Tax Return Program, a user must first complete the registration form. During registration a user is required to give contact information such as name, address, phone number and email address. We use this information to contact the user about services on our site for which they have expressed interest.     The Information We Collect     We may collect information about you from the following sources: Information we receive from your transactions with us and our affiliates, such as information you submit to prepare your online tax return or in connection with other online tax services. Examples of such information may include information from your Form 1099, W-2, and other tax forms, as well as information about balances and payment history. Information we receive when you request services or information from us or companies, with whom we have business relationships, such as your name, address and e-mail address. Credit or debit card information, such as card number and card expiration date, and checking and savings account information when you purchase online tax and related products and services on or through our site.     This notice applies to all information collected or submitted on our online tax return program. In addition to tax return information, we collect the following credit card and personal information:     Cardholder's Name     Credit Card Type     Credit Card Number     Expiration Date     Cardholder's Billing Address     Daytime Phone Number     E-mail Address     Employer's Phone Number     The credit card information is used to process your transaction. This information is not made available to anyone else. If you choose to apply for an Express Refund Bank Product such as Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) or Refund Anticipation Check (RAC), we will pass the personal and other necessary information to our express refund bank product associate Santa Barbara Bank and Trust Company for processing of the RAL or RAC.     Identifying and Contact Information     We also collect the following information for use in answering your inquiries for support when you submit an email requesting our assistance:     From time to time, users may be asked to provide certain Identifying and Contact Information, such as: your name, social security number, user id, password, e-mail address, mailing address and telephone number. This information is used to verify identity, determine eligibility for special programs or services we may offer and complete transactions. At times it will be necessary to use Personal Contact Information to communicate with users concerning administrative matters, responding to user requests and notifying users of the status of their online tax return. However, we will not disclose Identifying and Contact Information to third parties without prior consent, except as required by law.     Web Technologies     We may collect information through the following Web technologies:     We utilize a software technology called "cookies". Internet cookies allow us to customize our Online Tax Return Program for you. In most cases, however, information we collect through the Internet cookies does not identify you personally.     E file Income Tax Return with Internal Revenue Service (IRS)     Like most standard Web site servers, Taxes by Experts uses log files. This includes Internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, date/time stamp, and number of clicks. We utilize this information to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses are tied to personally identifiable information to enable users to e file or transmit tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).     Our online tax return program contains features to speed the preparation of your tax return and to reduce the chance for errors when entering tax data. If you elect to use these features, we may collect information about you from third parties to populate portions of your account registration or tax return. The auto entry feature allows you to transfer data from certain tax forms, such as a 1099 or W-2 from your employer, financial institution or other third parties directly to Taxes by Experts.     Federal law requires that Taxes by Experts retain, for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), electronic filed tax return data for a period of at least three years. It is Taxes by Experts' policy that if you start, but do not complete, a tax return, we will generally keep the tax return information you provide for three years.     Information We May Disclose     Subject to applicable laws, we may disclose information we collect to third party service providers to perform a service for us or perform a function on our behalf, or financial institutions with which we have joint marketing agreements. Examples could include, without limitation, disclosures to a printer to print checks for you, collate letters, manage or sort information we collect from you, or to send e-mails or letters on our behalf. In cases where we use service providers or joint marketers, we require such entities to enter into written contracts with us. These contracts require the service provider or joint marketer to safeguard your information and prohibit them from using your information for any unlawful purposes.     We may make other disclosures of information we collect to affiliated and non-affiliated third parties as required or permitted by law. We also may disclose information where you have consented to the disclosure. Such disclosures may include, without limitation, disclosures that effect or aid in the processing of electronic refund, RAL or RAC or other products or services that you request. Though we make every effort to preserve user privacy, we may need to disclose personal information when required by law, or wherein we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a current judicial proceeding, a court order or legal process served on Taxes by Experts.     Taxes by Experts may disclose aggregate information compiled using your personal information that does not identify you individually or personally. This may include, for example, the total number of clients Taxes by Experts served in a particular state or city, or the number of total clients who filed a particular tax form. Taxes by Experts may also provide the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with anonymous statistical data relating to tax return preparation and e filing. You may have additional rights under Federal or State laws, and this Privacy Statement will not limit those rights.     The Way We Use Information     As previously stated, the tax return information that we collect is used strictly for lawful purposes and is never shared with Federal, State or other taxing authorities without your consent, except as required by law. If you choose to electronically file your tax return, we will transmit your tax return to the appropriate Federal and State taxing authorities.     When a client chooses to electronically file (e file) a tax return with the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires us to provide the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer from which the tax return originated, as well as the e-mail address of the person who electronically filed the tax return. This information is sent to the IRS at the time you choose to submit your return to the IRS for electronic filing.     In order to electronically file (e file) your tax return, we must share your submitted tax information with the appropriate tax authorities in order to complete your request. You can control whether or not you wish your tax return information shared for this purpose by deciding whether or not to complete the tax return forms, which are all clearly labeled.     The above listed credit card information that we collect will be used strictly for order processing and billing purposes, and will not be shared with any other party. If you choose to use our Express Refund Bank Product or Credit Card Payment of Balance Due options, bank account or credit card information is also passed to our bank, for processing purposes. You will enter this information during the routine course of an online tax preparation service. In the event that our Technical Experts staff should need to research and resolve any status or billing issues associated with an order, only authorized personnel will access the information.     Consent to Use Information     Your use of this Service means that you consent to our limited access and review of your tax return information necessary to provide you with our online tax return preparation service.     If you wish to opt-out of receiving such information and promotional messages, you may check the “Decline” button located in the Agreement. The Agreement is displayed throughout the Online Tax Return Program.     Third Party Services     For the purpose of providing you with additional information or services, our Online Tax Return Program may also provide links or references to our other web sites or to third party service providers and other business partners.     We are not responsible for information gathered by third party web sites. You should review any third party site’s privacy policy for details regarding their policies concerning information they gather.     Through our third party relationship with Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, you may apply for an Express Refund Bank Product (ERBP) such as Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) and Refund Anticipation Check (RAC). When you apply for a RAL or RAC, you authorize us to disclose your relevant personal and tax return information to Santa Barbara Bank and Trust. Your indication within the program that you wish to apply for an ERBP serves as your authorization. Information is only sent to Santa Barbara Bank and Trust after your return has been e-filed with the IRS. When you select the option within our program for a express refund bank product, once your tax return has qualified for electronic filing we share your name, address, social security number, phone number and other tax related information necessary for Santa Barbara Bank and Trust to provide the requested service. Santa Barbara Bank and Trust uses the personally identifiable information for the purpose of providing your ERBP. You may visit the site at www.sbbtral.com to view their privacy policy.     Changes to Our Privacy/Security Policy     If we make a material change to this Privacy/Security Policy, including a material change in the way we use your personal information and or tax return information, we will notify you by using one of the following methods at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such change: (1) we will post a notice on our web site describing the change; or (2) we will send you e mail notifying you of the change. You may also have additional rights under State or Federal law in the event of a change in our Privacy/Security Policy.     If Taxes by Experts were to sell its assets to a third party, certain personal information and or tax return information of our customers could be part of the assets sold or transferred. In the case where Taxes by Experts transfers or sells its assets, including your personal information and or tax return information, to a non-affiliated third party, Taxes by Experts will notify you of the transfer or sale. The notification procedure will be the same as the procedure we use to notify you of a change in our Privacy/Security Policy.     Security Information     This Web site takes every precaution to protect our users’ information. When users submit sensitive information via the World Wide Web, their information is protected both online and off-line.     Taxes by Experts account information is password-protected so that only the registered owner of an account will have access to their personal information. Account information may be updated by entering a user id and password to gain access to the account. We strongly recommend that users do not share their user id and password with anyone. Taxes by Experts will never ask a user for their user id or password via unsolicited phone call or e-mail.     Correcting/Updating/Deleting/Deactivating Personal Information     We provide the opportunity to update or correct the contact and tax return information provided to us. The tax return and personal information collected through this Online Tax Return Program is contained in client’s tax returns and in product registration information. Once a tax return has been completed using the Taxes by Experts Online Tax Return Program, and directed that it be electronically filed with the IRS, it cannot be changed because the tax return has become a legal record of the tax filing. Any changes made to a tax return after it has already been electronically filed with IRS, and acknowledged by the IRS, will generate a Form 1040X (amended return).     Retrieving Your Information     Our Online Tax Return Service is available for beginning, completing and e-filing your return with IRS, from approximately January through October of each tax year.     From October through the end of December you can still complete and mail your tax return to the appropriate filing authorities if you began it prior to October.     How To Contact Us     Should you have other questions or concerns about this Privacy/Security Policy, please submit your questions using our Contact Us link.