Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

M/s Shahi & Co., Chartered Accountants is a proprietorship firm of Chartered Accountants registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), providing professional services in the areas of direct taxation, indirect taxation, audit & assurance, corporate compliance, and advisory services.

Registered Office & Data Controller:
201, Second Floor, Building No. 9, LSC Complex,
Pushp Vihar, New Delhi – 110 062, India
Email: info@shahiandco.in
Phone: +91-9999 361 351

For all matters relating to this Privacy Policy and data protection, you may contact us at the address above or by email.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways: information you provide to us voluntarily, and information collected automatically when you use our website.

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

When you interact with our website — by filling out a contact form, sending an email inquiry, scheduling a consultation, or subscribing to our newsletter — you may provide:

• Identity information: full name, company name, designation
• Contact information: email address, phone number, postal address
• Communication content: the content of your message, questions, or instructions
• Professional details: industry, nature of query or engagement

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit shahiandco.in, our website or hosting infrastructure may automatically collect certain technical data, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location (city/country level)
• Browser type, version, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on each page, and navigation path
• Referring URL (the page you visited before arriving at our website)
• Device type (desktop, tablet, or mobile)
• Date and time of each visit

This data is collected through server logs and, where applicable, cookies or analytics tools. It is used in aggregate, anonymised form for website performance analysis and is not used to identify individual visitors.

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect Through the Website

We do not collect sensitive personal data (such as Aadhaar numbers, PAN, financial account details, or tax records) through this website. Any documents or financial information shared as part of an engagement are handled under a separate professional engagement agreement and not through general website submissions.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To respond to inquiries: When you contact us through our website or email, we use your contact details and message content to respond to your query or request.
• To provide professional services: If you engage our firm, we use your information to deliver the agreed services, communicate on engagement matters, and maintain professional records.
• To send informational communications: With your consent, we may send newsletters, tax updates, budget analyses, or other informational content relevant to your professional interests. You may unsubscribe at any time.
• To improve our website: Aggregated, anonymised usage data helps us understand how visitors interact with our website so we can improve content and user experience.
• To comply with legal obligations: As a CA firm, we are subject to obligations under the Income Tax Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), ICAI regulations, and other applicable laws. We may retain or disclose information to the extent required by these obligations.
• To manage our business relationship: Maintaining records of communications, engagements, and invoicing as part of normal firm administration.

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following grounds:

• Consent: Where you have expressly agreed — for example, by submitting a contact form or subscribing to our updates.
• Contractual necessity: Where processing is necessary to perform a professional services engagement you have entered into with us.
• Legal obligation: Where we are required to process or retain data under applicable Indian law (e.g., under PMLA Know Your Customer requirements, ICAI Code of Ethics, or tax laws).
• Legitimate interest: For website analytics and security, where our interest in maintaining a functional and secure website does not override your privacy rights.

5. Sharing of Information

We treat all information provided to us as strictly confidential. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We may engage trusted third-party service providers — such as website hosting providers, email service platforms, and IT support services — who process data on our behalf. These parties are contractually required to maintain confidentiality and process data only for the purposes we specify.

5.2 Professional Referrals

With your explicit consent, we may refer your matter to a co-professional (such as an advocate, cost accountant, or consultant) where your engagement requires specialist expertise outside our scope of services.

5.3 Legal & Regulatory Disclosure

We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority — including disclosures required under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Income Tax Act, or directions from the ICAI Disciplinary Directorate.

5.4 Business Succession

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or transfer of our practice, client data may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to the same confidentiality obligations.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected and as required by applicable law:

• Inquiry / contact form data: Retained for up to 12 months from the date of contact, unless an engagement commences.
• Engagement and client records: Retained for a minimum of 8 years from the completion of the engagement, in accordance with ICAI requirements and the Limitation Act, 1963. Certain records (e.g., income tax-related documents) may be retained longer as required by law.
• Newsletter subscribers: Retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
• Website analytics data: Retained in aggregated, anonymised form and not subject to deletion schedules tied to individuals.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

7. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.

7.1 Types of Cookies We May Use

• Strictly necessary cookies: Required for the website to function (e.g., session management, security). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., pages visited, traffic sources). We use aggregated data only and do not track individual visitors.
• Preference cookies: Remember choices you have made on our website (e.g., language, region).

7.2 Managing Cookies

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain parts of our website. Instructions for managing cookies are available in your browser's help documentation.

We do not use cookies for targeted advertising or third-party tracking.

8. Security of Your Data

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted through the website
• Access controls limiting who within our firm can access personal data
• Secure storage of physical and digital records
• Regular review of security practices

While we take all reasonable precautions, no internet transmission or electronic storage system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and encourage you to exercise caution when sharing sensitive information over any online channel. For sharing sensitive professional documents, we recommend using our secure, firm-provided channels rather than general web forms.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, government portals (such as the Income Tax e-filing portal, MCA21, GSTN), professional bodies (ICAI), or other resources. These links are provided for your convenience and information only.

We have no control over the content or privacy practices of third-party websites and are not responsible for them. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website and professional services are directed at business clients, individuals seeking professional tax and financial advice, and other adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from persons under the age of 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately at info@shahiandco.in and we will promptly delete such information.

11. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the following rights with respect to your personal information held by us:

• Right to access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations and professional duties under applicable law.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.
• Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes, including newsletter communications. You can unsubscribe from any communication by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or by writing to us.
• Right to data portability: Where technically feasible and legally applicable, you may request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please write to us at info@shahiandco.in. We will respond within a reasonable time and in any case within 30 days of receipt of your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing the request.

Please note that certain rights may be limited where we are required to retain or process data to comply with a legal obligation or to defend a legal claim.

12. Professional Confidentiality & Engagement Data

Information shared with us in the context of a professional engagement (as a client or prospective client) is subject to the professional secrecy obligations imposed by the ICAI Code of Ethics and the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949. This obligation is absolute and continues indefinitely after the conclusion of an engagement.

Such information is separate from website personal data and is governed by your engagement letter / terms of service with our firm, the ICAI Code of Ethics, and applicable law (including PMLA and Income Tax Act requirements). If you have queries regarding how engagement-specific data is handled, please contact our engagement partner directly.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the Effective Date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our website after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India, including the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (to the extent notified and applicable). Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at New Delhi.