Privacy Policy

Last updated: 19 August 2026

Foxmain Associates takes the protection of your personal information seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store and protect personal information and explains the rights you may have under data protection law.

1. Who we are

Foxmain Associates is a trading name of Foxmain Associates Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 06210487.

Foxmain Associates Limited is a member firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Our registered office is:

Foxmain Associates Limited
60 Stoke Lane
Westbury-on-Trym
Bristol
BS9 3SW

Email: info@foxmain.com

Telephone: 0117 244 0147

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, Foxmain Associates Limited will normally be the data controller of the personal information covered by this Privacy Policy.

In some circumstances, particularly where we process information on the instructions of a business client, we may act as a data processor rather than a controller. In those circumstances, the relevant client's privacy information may also apply.

2. The personal information we collect

The information we collect depends on your relationship with us and the services we provide.

It may include:

your name, title and contact details;
your home or business address;
your telephone number and email address;
date of birth;
National Insurance number;
Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR);
Companies House and company information;
identification documents and information used for identity verification;
information required for anti-money laundering and fraud-prevention checks;
bank account and payment information;
accounting and financial records;
income, expenditure, assets and liabilities;
tax information and tax records;
employment, payroll and pension information;
information about directors, shareholders, partners, trustees, beneficiaries or employees where relevant to our services;
correspondence and records of communications with you;
information you provide when asking us for a quotation or consultation;
information relating to the professional services we provide;
IP address, browser information and other technical information generated when you use our website; and
other information reasonably required to provide our services or comply with our professional, legal and regulatory obligations.

Special category and other sensitive information

In the course of providing certain professional services, such as payroll, tax or advisory services, we may receive information considered particularly sensitive under data protection law.

We only process this information where it is necessary and where an appropriate additional legal condition for processing applies.

We may also process information concerning suspected fraud, sanctions, criminal offences or related matters where this is necessary and permitted by law, including in connection with our anti-money laundering and regulatory obligations.

3. How we obtain your information

We collect personal information directly from you when, for example:

you contact us;
you use our website or contact forms;
you book an initial consultation;
you ask us to provide services;
you become a client;
you provide information or documents needed for our work; or
you correspond with us by telephone, email, post or other means.

We may also obtain personal information from other sources where appropriate, including:

your employer or a business for which you work;
companies, partnerships, trusts or other organisations with which you are associated;
other individuals connected with an engagement;
your previous accountant or professional adviser;
HM Revenue & Customs;
Companies House;
banks and other financial institutions;
pension providers;
public registers and publicly available sources;
identity-verification, sanctions or anti-money laundering service providers;
government departments, regulators and public authorities; and
other third parties where you have authorised them to provide information to us or where obtaining the information is otherwise lawful.

4. How and why we use your information

We only process personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so. Our principal purposes and lawful bases may include the following.

Responding to enquiries and prospective clients

We use your information to respond to enquiries, arrange consultations, understand what services you may require and provide quotations or proposals.

Our lawful basis will generally be taking steps at your request before entering into a contract and/or our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and developing our business.

Providing professional services

We use personal information to provide accounting, taxation, bookkeeping, payroll, business advisory and other agreed professional services.

Our lawful basis may include:

performing a contract with you;
taking steps before entering into a contract;
complying with our legal obligations; and
our legitimate interests in providing professional services, particularly where the individual concerned is not personally a party to our engagement.

Meeting legal, regulatory and professional obligations

We process information where necessary to comply with obligations relating to matters such as:

taxation;
anti-money laundering;
counter-terrorist financing;
sanctions;
fraud prevention;
professional regulation;
record keeping;
responding to lawful requests from regulators, courts or public authorities; and
other applicable legal requirements.

The lawful basis for this processing will normally be compliance with a legal obligation. In some circumstances, another lawful basis or additional statutory condition may apply.

Identity verification and prevention of financial crime

We may verify identities and undertake checks required to prevent or detect money laundering, fraud, financial crime or other unlawful activity.

This processing may be necessary for compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations and, where applicable, our recognised or other legitimate interests in preventing and investigating crime and protecting our business and clients.

Administration, billing and management of our practice

We may use information to:

maintain client records;
issue invoices;
receive and reconcile payments;
manage our relationship with clients;
maintain appropriate audit trails;
manage our professional practice;
obtain professional advice;
deal with complaints;
establish, exercise or defend legal claims; and
meet insurance requirements.

Depending on the circumstances, we rely on contractual necessity, legal obligations and/or our legitimate interests in operating and protecting our professional practice.

Website operation and security

When you use our website, we may process technical information to operate, maintain and secure the website, prevent misuse and understand technical problems.

We generally rely on our legitimate interests in operating a secure and effective website.

Where cookies or similar technologies require your consent, we will obtain that consent before using them.

Please see our Cookie Policy for further information.

Communications and marketing

We may send clients information about tax, accounting, regulatory or other developments that are relevant to services we provide.

Some communications may form part of the professional service you have asked us to provide rather than marketing.

Where a communication constitutes direct marketing, we will only send it where permitted by applicable data protection and electronic marketing rules.

You may ask us to stop sending marketing communications at any time by contacting us at info@foxmain.com or by using any unsubscribe facility included in the communication.

5. Our legitimate interests

Where we rely on legitimate interests, those interests may include:

operating and developing our professional practice;
responding to business enquiries;
providing effective client service;
protecting our business and systems;
maintaining appropriate business and professional records;
preventing fraud and misuse;
establishing, exercising or defending legal claims; and
maintaining appropriate relationships with clients and business contacts.

Where required, we consider whether these interests are overridden by your interests, rights or freedoms.

6. Who we share personal information with

We do not sell or rent personal information.

We may share personal information where necessary with organisations including:

HM Revenue & Customs;
Companies House;
other government departments and public authorities;
courts and law-enforcement bodies;
professional and regulatory bodies;
our professional indemnity insurers;
our legal and other professional advisers;
banks and payment service providers;
pension providers;
payroll, bookkeeping or other specialist service providers;
identity-verification and anti-money laundering service providers;
software, cloud-storage and secure document-exchange providers;
website, email, IT and cybersecurity providers;
other accountants or professional advisers where authorised or appropriate; and
other third parties where you ask or authorise us to share information.

Where we use a service provider to process personal information on our behalf, we take appropriate steps to require the provider to protect that information and process it in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

Some organisations with whom we share information, such as HMRC, regulators, banks or other professional advisers, may act as independent data controllers in respect of the information they receive.

7. International transfers

Some of the technology and service providers we use may store personal information, or allow it to be accessed, outside the United Kingdom.

Where this amounts to a restricted international transfer under UK data protection law, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer is lawful.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include relying on:

UK adequacy regulations;
an approved contractual safeguard, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or an appropriate UK Addendum;
another safeguard permitted by data protection law; or
an applicable legal exception.

Further information about the safeguards relevant to a particular transfer can be requested by contacting us.

8. How long we keep information

We do not keep personal information for longer than is reasonably necessary.

Different types of information are retained for different periods depending on:

the purpose for which it was collected;
tax and accounting requirements;
anti-money laundering requirements;
professional and regulatory obligations;
contractual requirements;
insurance requirements;
limitation periods for legal claims; and
whether information is required in connection with an actual or anticipated dispute or investigation.

As a general practice, we may retain client engagement and professional-service records for up to seven years following the end of the relevant accounting or tax period or the end of our engagement, depending on the nature of the record and the reason it is retained.

Records obtained specifically for anti-money laundering customer due-diligence purposes are generally retained for the period required by applicable anti-money laundering legislation and are then deleted unless there is another lawful reason why they need to be retained.

Website enquiries and information relating to prospective clients who do not engage us will normally be retained for a shorter period where there is no continuing business, regulatory or legal reason for keeping it.

We periodically review information we hold and securely delete or anonymise information when it is no longer required.

9. Keeping your information secure

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against:

unauthorised or unlawful access;
accidental loss;
destruction;
alteration;
unauthorised disclosure; and
other inappropriate use.

Our measures may include access controls, secure systems, password protection, appropriate backup arrangements, staff confidentiality requirements, supplier controls and other security measures appropriate to the nature of the information concerned.

No method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect the information entrusted to us.

10. If you do not provide information we request

In some cases, we need personal information in order to:

enter into or perform a contract;
provide professional services;
verify your identity; or
comply with legal or regulatory requirements.

f required information is not provided, we may be unable to accept an engagement, continue acting for you or provide some or all of the requested services.

11. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which we process your information, you may have rights including:

Right of access

You may ask us whether we process your personal information and request a copy of personal information we hold about you.

Right to rectification

You may ask us to correct inaccurate personal information and, where appropriate, complete information that is incomplete.

Right to erasure

In certain circumstances, you may ask us to delete your personal information.

This right is not absolute. For example, we may need to retain information to comply with legal or regulatory obligations or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Right to restrict processing

In certain circumstances, you may ask us to restrict the way we use your personal information.

Right to object

You may have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.

You have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

Right to data portability

Where the applicable legal conditions are satisfied, you may have the right to receive certain personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to ask for it to be transferred to another organisation.

Right to withdraw consent

Where our processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Not all of these rights apply in every circumstance. Legal and regulatory exemptions may also apply.

To exercise a data protection right, please contact us at info@foxmain.com.

We may need to obtain reasonable information to confirm your identity before responding.

12. Automated decision-making

If we use solely automated decision-making in circumstances where data protection law requires us to provide specific information or safeguards, we will explain the processing, its significance and the applicable safeguards to the individuals concerned.

13. Data protection complaints

If you have concerns about how we collect, use, disclose, retain or protect your personal information, please contact us in the first instance.

You can make a data protection complaint by emailing:

info@foxmain.com

Please include sufficient information for us to understand your concern. You may use the words “Data Protection Complaint” in the subject line to help us identify it promptly.

We will:

provide a clear means for you to raise a data protection complaint;
acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days;
take appropriate steps to investigate the complaint without undue delay;
keep you appropriately informed about the progress of our investigation; and
tell you the outcome without undue delay.

If someone complains on your behalf, we may ask for reasonable evidence that they have authority to act for you.

14. Complaining to the Information Commissioner's Office

We would welcome the opportunity to resolve any concern directly.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Further information about making a complaint is available from the Information Commissioner's Office.

15. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Please see our separate Cookie Policy for information about the technologies used, their purposes and how you can manage your choices.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We keep this Privacy Policy under review and may amend it to reflect:

changes to our services;
changes to the way we use personal information;
changes to our suppliers or technology;
changes in legal or regulatory requirements; or
changes in guidance from relevant authorities.

Where appropriate, we will bring significant changes to the attention of affected individuals.

The date at the top of this Privacy Policy shows when it was last updated.

17. Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise a data protection right, or to make a data protection complaint, please contact: