Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

S. Baheti & Associates ("we," "our," or "us") is a Chartered Accountant firm registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), with its office at Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017. We are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act") and applicable Indian laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use our website (www.sbaheti.com) or engage our professional services.

2. Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity Data: Name, PAN, Aadhaar (as required for tax filings), date of birth
• Contact Data: Email address, phone number, postal address
• Financial Data: Income details, bank statements, investment records, and other financial information necessary for our professional services
• Business Data: Company registration details, GST information, financial statements
• Website Usage Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited (collected automatically via cookies)
• Communication Data: Messages you send through our contact form or via email/WhatsApp

3. Purpose of Data Collection

We collect and process your personal data for the following lawful purposes:

• To provide Chartered Accountancy, tax, audit, GST, and advisory services
• To comply with statutory and regulatory obligations (Income Tax Act, GST Act, Companies Act, etc.)
• To respond to your enquiries and provide consultations
• To send relevant service updates and communications
• To improve our website and services
• To maintain our legal and professional obligations under ICAI guidelines

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the DPDP Act, 2023, we process your personal data on the following grounds:

• Consent: Where you have provided explicit consent (e.g., contact form submissions, newsletter sign-ups)
• Legitimate Use: Where processing is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations (professional service engagements)
• Legal Obligation: Where processing is required by law (tax filings, audit reports, regulatory submissions)

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for the period necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy. Specifically:

• Tax and financial records: As required by the Income Tax Act (minimum 8 years from the relevant assessment year)
• GST records: As required under GST law (minimum 6 years from the due date of the annual return)
• Website enquiries: Up to 2 years from the date of last communication
• Cookies and analytics data: Up to 1 year

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal data to third parties. We may share your data only:

• With government authorities as required by law (Income Tax Department, GST Network, MCA, etc.)
• With your explicit consent for specific purposes
• With trusted service providers who assist in our operations (e.g., secure cloud hosting), under strict confidentiality agreements

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• Secure data storage with access controls
• Encrypted communications (SSL/TLS) on our website
• Regular security reviews and staff training
• Confidentiality obligations for all team members

8. Your Rights Under the DPDP Act

As a Data Principal, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a summary of your personal data we process
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Right to Grievance Redressal: File a complaint regarding our data processing practices
• Right to Nominate: Nominate a person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@sbaheti.com.

9. Cookies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain features of our website.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data processing practices, please contact:

S. Baheti & Associates
Office No. 206, ANP Commerce Center,
Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune 411017
Email: info@sbaheti.com
Phone: +91 89567 60409