- We collect only what you choose to send us (for example, your name, email, phone and message) plus basic information about how you found and used this site.
- We use it to reply to you, book meetings, provide services if you become a client, and to measure how well our advertising works.
- We never sell your personal information. You can ask to see, correct or delete it at any time.
Who we are
This website is operated by SMG CPA, the professional accounting practice of Sherif Garis, CPA, in Calgary, Alberta ("we", "us"). We are accountable for the personal information under our control and follow Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and, where it applies, the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). As Chartered Professional Accountants we are also bound by the confidentiality rules of CPA Alberta's Code of Professional Conduct.
What we collect
Information you give us
- Enquiry forms: your name, email address, phone number (on some pages), the service you're interested in, and your message.
- Meeting bookings: when you book through our scheduling tool (Calendly), the name, email and any answers you provide there.
- Phone and email: whatever you share when you call or write to us.
Information collected automatically
- How you found us: when you send an enquiry, the form also includes the page you arrived on, the referring website, and any advertising campaign tags in the web address (such as the ad campaign name or an ad click ID). This tells us which advertising is working.
- Analytics and advertising measurement: we use Google Analytics, Google Ads and the Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Pixel. These set cookies or use similar technology to record things like pages viewed, device and browser type, approximate location, and whether you sent an enquiry, booked a meeting or tapped our phone number after seeing one of our ads.
- Hosting and security logs: our hosting and network providers automatically log technical data such as your IP address and browser, to deliver the site and protect it from abuse.
Please don't send sensitive documents or numbers (such as a Social Insurance Number or tax slips) through the website forms. If you become a client, we'll give you a secure way to share them.
How we use it
- To respond to your enquiry and arrange a consultation.
- To provide accounting and tax services if you engage us (client information is then also governed by your engagement letter).
- To understand which pages and advertisements bring people to us, and to show our ads to people who are more likely to find them useful.
- To keep the website secure and working properly.
- To meet our legal and professional obligations.
We won't add you to a mailing list without your consent, and any marketing email we send will include a way to unsubscribe, as required by Canada's anti-spam legislation (CASL).
Who we share it with
We never sell or rent personal information. We share it only with service providers that help us run the practice, and only for the purposes above:
| Provider | What they do for us |
|---|---|
| Web3Forms | Delivers website enquiries to our email inbox |
| Calendly | Online meeting scheduling |
| Netlify and Cloudflare | Website hosting, delivery and security |
| Google (Analytics, Ads, Fonts) | Website statistics, advertising measurement, website fonts |
| Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram) | Advertising measurement |
| Our email and document providers | Storing correspondence and client files |
We may also disclose information where required by law, or to protect our rights or the safety of others.
Information stored outside Canada
Several of these providers are based in, or store data in, the United States or other countries. When information is stored outside Canada it is subject to the laws of that country and may be accessed by its authorities. If you have questions about how our service providers outside Canada handle personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer (details below).
Cookies and your choices
- You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. The site will still work.
- Google: turn off personalized ads at adssettings.google.com, or install the Google Analytics opt-out add-on.
- Meta: manage ad preferences at facebook.com/adpreferences.
- Industry opt-out: youradchoices.ca.
How long we keep it
Enquiries that don't lead to an engagement are kept for up to 24 months and then deleted. Client records are kept for as long as required by professional standards and tax law (generally at least six years). Analytics data is kept according to the settings of the tools above (for example, Google Analytics retains event data for up to 14 months).
How we protect it
We use reasonable safeguards for the sensitivity of the information, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections, access limited to the people who need it, and reputable providers with their own security programs. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take the protection of your information seriously.
Your rights
You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or withdraw your consent to its use (subject to legal or contractual limits). We'll respond within 30 days. If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Contact our Privacy Officer
Calgary, Alberta
Email: sherifgaris@smgcpa.ca · Phone: 587-288-1694
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our practice or the law changes. The date at the top shows when it was last revised.