Information about the collection of personal data
1.1
Below we inform you about the collection of personal data when using our website. Personal data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person, such as name, address, email address, or user behavior. Our aim is to inform you about our data processing operations and to comply with legal obligations, especially under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
1.2
The responsible party within the meaning of Article 4 (7) GDPR is Alexander Garke, Turbinenstraße 7, 70499 Stuttgart, info (at) ag-steuerberater.com. You can reach our data protection officer at info (at) ag-steuerberater.com or at our postal address with the addition "Data Protection Officer".
1.3
If you contact us via email or through a contact form, we will store the data you provide (your email address, possibly your name, and your telephone number) to answer your questions. We will delete the data collected in this context as soon as it is no longer necessary to retain it or restrict processing as far as statutory retention obligations exist. If the inquiry leads to a contract, we will store the data according to the contractual retention periods.
1.4
If we need to rely on contracted service providers for certain features of our offer or wish to use your data for advertising purposes, we will inform you about the respective processes and the specified criteria for storage duration in detail.
Your rights
2.1
You have the following rights with respect to your personal data held by us:
Right of access: You can request confirmation at any time as to whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed by us, and if so, which personal data.
Right to rectification: You have the right to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data corrected.
Right to erasure: You can request the deletion of your personal data, provided that no legal retention obligations stand in the way.
Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data.
Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal data at any time.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format or to request its transmission to another controller.
2.2
You also have the right to complain to a data protection authority about the processing of your personal data by us.
Processing of personal data when visiting our websites
3.1
When using our website for informational purposes only, that is, if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only process the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. This data is technically necessary to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f GDPR:
IP address, date and time of the request, time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT),
content of the request (specific page), access status/HTTP status code, volume of data transferred, website from which the request originates, browser, operating system and its interface, language and version of the browser software.
3.2
In addition to the data mentioned above, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your hard drive and stored by your browser to convey specific information to the entity that set the cookie. Cookies cannot execute programs or transfer viruses to your computer. They are used to make our offerings more user-friendly, effective, and secure.
3.3
Use of Cookies:
Session Cookies (temporary cookies): These are automatically deleted when you close your browser. This includes session cookies in particular. These store a so-called session ID, which allows various requests from your browser to be assigned to a common session. As a result, your computer can be recognized when you revisit our website.
Persistent Cookies (time-limited cookies): These are automatically deleted after a specified period, which can vary depending on the cookie. You can delete cookies at any time in the security settings of your browser.
Cookies required for conducting the electronic communication process or for providing certain desired functions (e.g., shopping cart function) are stored based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing cookies for the technically flawless and optimized provision of its services.
Further features and offerings of our website
4.1
In addition to the purely informational use of our website, we offer various services that you can use if you are interested. For this purpose, you generally need to provide additional personal data, which we use to provide the respective service and for which the aforementioned principles of data processing apply.
4.2
Partially, we make use of external service providers to process your data. They have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions, and are regularly monitored. The following categories of recipients may have access to your personal data:
Service providers for the operation of our website and the processing of data stored or transmitted in the systems (e.g. for data center services, payment processing, IT security). The legal basis for the transfer is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b or lit. f GDPR, as long as it does not involve processors.
Public authorities, insofar as this is necessary to fulfill a legal obligation. The legal basis for the transfer is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c GDPR.
People who are involved in the conduct of our business operations (e.g. auditors, banks, insurance companies, legal advisors, supervisory authorities, participants in business acquisitions or the formation of joint ventures). The legal basis for the transfer is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b or lit. f GDPR.
4.3
Furthermore, we only pass your personal data to third parties if you have expressly consented to this in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 Sentence 1 lit. a GDPR.
Objection or withdrawal of the processing of your data
5.1
If you have given consent to the processing of your data, you can withdraw it at any time. Such a withdrawal does not affect the legality of the processing of your personal data after you have communicated it to us. Please send your withdrawal by email or by post to the contact details of our company mentioned above.
5.2
Insofar as we base the processing of your personal data on a balancing of interests, you may object to the processing. This is particularly the case when the processing is not necessary for the fulfillment of a contract with you, which we will explain in the following function description. When exercising such an objection, we ask you to provide us with the reasons why we should not process your personal data in the manner we have done. In the case of a valid objection, we will examine the matter and either cease or adjust the data processing, or provide you with our compelling legitimate reasons for continuing the processing.
Use of Google AdWords Conversion
6.1
We use the Google AdWords service to draw attention to our services on external websites using advertisements (so-called Google AdWords). Based on the data from the advertising campaigns, we can determine how successful each advertising measure was. This allows us to track interest, display relevant advertisements for you, make our website more interesting for you, and achieve a fair billing of advertising costs.
6.2
The delivery of advertising is carried out via so-called ad servers from Google. For this purpose, we use ad server cookies, which enable the measurement of certain parameters for success measurement, such as ad impressions or clicks by the user. If you arrive at our website through a Google advertisement, a cookie will be stored on your PC by Google AdWords. These cookies typically expire after 30 days and are not intended to personally identify you. The analysis values stored in this cookie usually include the unique cookie ID, the number of ad impressions per placement (frequency), the last impression (relevant for post-view conversions), and opt-out information (indicating that the user no longer wishes to be addressed).
6.3
Cookies enable Google to recognize the internet browser. If a user visits specific pages of an AdWords customer's website and the cookie stored on their computer has not yet expired, Google and the customer can recognize that the user clicked on the ad and was redirected to that page. Each AdWords customer is assigned their own cookie. Therefore, tracking cookies across the websites of AdWords customers is not possible. We do not collect or process any personal data as part of the mentioned advertising measures. We only receive statistical evaluations from Google. Based on these evaluations, we can determine which advertising measures are particularly effective. We do not receive further data from the use of the advertising materials, and in particular, we cannot identify users based on this information.
6.4
By using the marketing tools, your browser automatically establishes a direct connection with Google servers. We have no influence over the scope and further use of the data collected by Google through the use of this tool, and therefore inform you according to our knowledge: By integrating AdWords Conversion, Google receives the information that you have accessed the corresponding part of our website or clicked on one of our ads. If you are registered with a Google service, Google can associate the visit with your account. Even if you are not registered or logged in to Google, there is a possibility that Google obtains and stores your IP address.
6.5
You can object to the collection and storage of data in different ways:
By adjusting your browser settings, particularly suppressing third-party cookies, which will prevent you from receiving advertisements from third parties,
by disabling the conversion tracking cookie by selecting "no cookies from the domain www.googleadservices.com" in your browser settings at https://www.google.de/settings/ads, noting that this setting will be deleted when you clear your cookies,
by disabling interest-based advertising from providers who are part of the self-regulatory campaign "About Ads" via the link http://www.aboutads.info/choices, with this setting being removed when you delete your cookies,
by permanently disabling it in your browsers Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Google Chrome via the link http://www.google.com/settings/ads/plugin. Please note that in this case, you may not be able to fully utilize all features of this website.
6.6
The legal basis for processing your data is Article 6, paragraph 1, sentence 1, lit. f of the GDPR. For more information on Google's privacy policy, please visit http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy and https://services.google.com/sitestats/en.html. Alternatively, you can visit the website of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) at http://www.networkadvertising.org. Google has submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.
Google Remarketing
7.1
In addition to Google AdWords Conversion, we use the application Google Remarketing. This is a method with which we would like to reach out to you again. With the help of this application, our advertisements can be displayed to you after visiting our website when you continue to use the internet. This is done using cookies that are stored in your browser and that record and evaluate your usage behavior while visiting various websites from Google. As a result, Google can recognize your previous visit to our website. According to Google, there is no merging of the data collected in the context of remarketing with any personal data that you may have stored with Google. In particular, Google states that pseudonymization is used in remarketing. Cookies within the scope of Google Remarketing are stored for a period of 24 months. The legal basis for the processing of your data is Article 6 Paragraph 1 Sentence 1 lit. f GDPR.
DoubleClick by Google
8.1
This website continues to use the online marketing tool DoubleClick by Google. DoubleClick uses cookies to serve relevant ads to users, improve campaign performance reporting, or prevent a user from seeing the same ads multiple times. With the help of a cookie ID, Google can track which ads are served in which browser and can therefore prevent ads from being served multiple times. Furthermore, DoubleClick can use cookie IDs to track so-called conversions related to ad requests. This is the case, for example, when a user sees a DoubleClick ad and later visits the advertiser's website with the same browser and makes a purchase. According to Google, DoubleClick cookies do not contain any personal data.
8.2
Due to the marketing tools used, your browser automatically establishes a direct connection to Google's servers. We have no influence over the scope and further use of the data collected by Google through this tool, and therefore inform you according to our knowledge: By integrating DoubleClick, Google receives the information that you have accessed the corresponding part of our website or clicked on one of our ads. If you are logged into a Google service, Google can associate the visit with your account. Even if you are not registered or logged in to Google, there is a possibility that Google will learn and store your IP address.
8.3
You can object to the collection and storage of data in various ways:
By adjusting your browser settings, in particular by suppressing third-party cookies, which results in you not receiving advertising from third parties,
by disabling the conversion tracking cookie by selecting "no cookies from the domain www.googleadservices.com" in your browser settings, https://www.google.de/settings/ads, which will be deleted if you delete cookies,
by disabling interest-based advertising from providers participating in the self-regulation campaign 'About Ads' via the link http://www.aboutads.info/choices, which will be deleted when you delete your cookies,
by permanently disabling it in your browsers Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Google Chrome via the link http://www.google.com/settings/ads/plugin. Please note that in this case, you may not be able to fully utilize all features of this website.
8.4
The legal basis for processing your data is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f GDPR. For more information about DoubleClick by Google, please visit https://www.google.de/doubleclick and http://support.google.com/adsense/answer/2839090, as well as general information on data protection at Google under https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy. Alternatively, you can also visit the website of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) at http://www.networkadvertising.org. Google has submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.
8.5
Cookies from DoubleClick by Google are stored for a period of 24 months.
Use of Calendly
9.1
We use the scheduling and organization tool Calendly for our website. The service provider is the US company Calendly, LLC, BB&T Tower, 271 17th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30363, USA. Calendly processes data, among other places, in the USA. We point out that according to the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may pose various risks to the legality and security of data processing. For the purpose of appointment scheduling, first and last name as well as email address (and possibly the phone number, in case a phone appointment is desired) are collected in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR and transmitted to the provider based on our legitimate interest in effective customer management and appointment management and stored there for appointment organization. After the appointment is conducted or after the agreed appointment period has expired, your data will be deleted by the provider. We have concluded a data processing agreement with the service provider that ensures the protection of our visitors' data and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties. For data transfers to the USA, the provider has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection based on an adequacy decision of the European Commission.
Use of WhatsApp
10.1
We offer you the opportunity to contact us via the messaging service WhatsApp of WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. We use the so-called Business version of WhatsApp for this purpose.
Insofar as you contact us via WhatsApp regarding a specific business transaction (e.g. an order placed), we will store and use the mobile phone number you use on WhatsApp, as well as - if provided - your first and last name in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR for processing and responding to your request. On the same legal basis, we may ask you via WhatsApp to provide additional data (order number, customer number, address, or email address) in order to assign your inquiry to a specific process.
10.2
Use our WhatsApp contact for general inquiries (e.g., regarding the range of services, availability, or our website). We will store and use the mobile number you use on WhatsApp, as well as - if provided - your first and last name in accordance with Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR based on our legitimate interest in providing the requested information efficiently and promptly.
10.3
Your data will only be used to respond to your inquiry via WhatsApp. There will be no transfer to third parties.
10.4
Please note that WhatsApp Business accesses the address book of the mobile device we use and automatically transmits phone numbers stored in the address book to a server of the parent company Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA. For operating our WhatsApp Business account, we use a mobile device that contains only the WhatsApp contact details of users who have contacted us via WhatsApp.
This ensures that any person whose WhatsApp contact details are stored in our address book has already consented to the transmission of their WhatsApp phone number from the address books of their chat contacts by accepting the WhatsApp terms of use on their device when first using the app, in accordance with Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR. The transmission of data from users who do not use WhatsApp and/or have not contacted us via WhatsApp is thus excluded.
10.5
Please refer to WhatsApp's privacy notices for the purpose and scope of data collection and the further processing and use of the data by WhatsApp, as well as your related rights and options for protecting your privacy: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/?eea=1#privacy-policy.
As part of the aforementioned processing, there may be data transfers to servers of Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA. For data transfers to the USA, the provider has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European data protection level based on an adequacy decision of the European Commission.
Zoho Forms
11.1
We use Zoho Forms for surveys and online forms. The service provider is Zoho Corporation Pte Ltd, Dubai. Data may also be transmitted to Zoho Corp, USA. Zoho allows us to create and evaluate surveys and online forms. In addition to the personal data you enter in the forms, information about your operating system, browser, date and time of your visit, the referring URL, and your IP address is collected, transmitted to the provider, and stored on their servers.
The storage of the information you enter in the forms is password-protected to ensure that third-party access is excluded and that only we can evaluate the data for the purpose stated in the form.
11.2
For the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a contract with you (including processing operations necessary for the performance of pre-contractual measures), Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR serves as the legal basis. If you have given us your consent to process your data, the processing will be carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. You can revoke any consent given at any time with effect for the future.
11.3
We have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider that ensures the protection of our website visitors' data and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties. For data transfers to the USA, the provider has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection based on an adequacy decision of the European Commission.
12.1
On our websites, we use the tool Framer. Framer stores cookies that are necessary for the display and functionality of our website. The provider is Framer B.V., Attn: Compliance Officer, Rozengracht 207B, 1016 LZ Amsterdam, Netherlands. Framer's privacy policy can be viewed at https://www.framer.com/legal/privacy-statement/. Framer has submitted to the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. We have concluded a contract with Framer in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR.
12.2
The use of Framer and the storage of any cookies is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent of the data subject). Another authorization for the use of frames arises for us from Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interest). Any consent granted to us can be revoked at any time via the advertising tracking settings. Framer's cookie policy can be accessed at https://www.framer.com/legal/cookie-policy/.
This privacy policy was last updated on [Date].
If you have questions about this privacy policy, you can reach us at any time using the contact details provided in the imprint.
