Privacy policy.

Effective 2 July 2026. Last updated 2 July 2026.

Overview

Walch In Practice Pty Ltd ("Walch In Practice", "we", "us") is an Australian accounting practice based in Melbourne. We collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This policy applies to personal information we collect through this website, by phone or email, through client portals and accounting systems, and during the course of providing services to clients.

Collection principles

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for our functions and activities, including providing accounting, taxation, corporate, superannuation, portfolio administration, finance assistance, and advisory services. Where practical, we collect information directly from you.

Due to the nature of professional accounting and taxation services, it is usually not practicable for us to provide services on an anonymous or pseudonymous basis.

Information we collect

Depending on your relationship with us, we may collect:

• Contact details, including name, address, phone number, and email address
• Identity information required for client verification and regulatory compliance
• Tax file numbers, Australian business numbers, company details, and ASIC records
• Financial, accounting, payroll, superannuation, portfolio, and business records
• Information about directors, shareholders, trustees, beneficiaries, employees, contractors, or related entities where relevant to the work we perform
• Correspondence, instructions, engagement records, and information you provide when contacting us
• Technical information generated by this website, such as server logs, browser type, pages viewed, and approximate visit times

If you provide personal information about another person, you are responsible for ensuring you have authority to do so and, where appropriate, that the person has been made aware their information may be provided to us.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive information unless it is necessary for the service requested, required by law, or provided with consent.

How we use your information

We use personal information to:

• Provide accounting, taxation, corporate, superannuation, portfolio, and advisory services
• Prepare, review, and lodge returns, statements, forms, records, and correspondence
• Maintain client files, working papers, and statutory records
• Respond to enquiries and communicate with you about your affairs
• Verify identity and comply with professional, regulatory, and legal obligations
• Refer you to trusted specialists where you ask us to do so or where it is necessary to provide the service
• Operate, maintain, and improve our website, systems, and internal business processes

Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may disclose information where necessary to provide our services, where you have authorised us to do so, or where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Recipients may include:

• The Australian Taxation Office, ASIC, the Tax Practitioners Board, and other government or regulatory bodies
• Software and service providers used for accounting, taxation, document management, email, hosting, security, and practice administration
• Banks, lenders, brokers, auditors, lawyers, financial advisers, insolvency practitioners, and other professional advisers where relevant to your matter
• Praemium and other portfolio administration or client portal providers, where you use those services
• Xero and other accounting software providers, where your records are maintained or processed through those platforms

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure. Measures may include access controls, secure authentication, encryption where appropriate, staff confidentiality obligations, restricted file access, backups, and secure professional systems.

Retention

We retain records for as long as needed to provide our services and to meet legal, taxation, professional, and regulatory obligations. Tax, accounting, and corporate records are commonly retained for at least 7 years, and some records may need to be kept longer depending on the matter.

Your rights

You may request access to personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information, opt out of non-essential communications, or make a privacy complaint. We will respond within a reasonable period and may need to verify your identity before actioning a request.

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

Cookies and website data

This website may use essential or basic technical cookies and server logs to operate the site, keep it secure, and understand general usage. We do not use this website to sell personal information or run cross-site advertising profiles.

Data breaches

If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, we will assess the incident and, where required, notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Overseas disclosure

Some technology and professional service providers may store or process information outside Australia. This includes providers such as Microsoft (email and document services), Xero (cloud accounting), and Cal.com (appointment scheduling), which may store or process data in Australia and in other jurisdictions in which they operate, including the United States. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients handle personal information consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time by publishing a revised version on this page. The updated version applies from the date it is published.

Contact

For privacy enquiries, access requests, correction requests, or complaints, contact Walch In Practice at mail@wiponline.com or on 03 9642 1633.