Privacy Policy

This is template language prepared by DBJ Technologies. An operating firm should have its own privacy policy reviewed by counsel and adapted to its actual data practices before publishing.

Last updated May 16, 2026

1. Overview

Cowell & Co. is a certified public accounting practice based in Dallas, Texas. This Privacy Policy explains what information the firm collects through its website at cowellco.com and through the client portal, how that information is used and protected, and the choices available to you. It applies to your use of the website and to information you provide while considering or receiving services from the firm.

This policy does not change the terms of any signed engagement agreement. Where a topic is addressed both here and in an engagement letter, the engagement letter governs the services it covers.

2. Information the firm collects

Information you provide

When you submit the contact form, schedule a call, or subscribe to the monthly newsletter, the firm collects the details you choose to share, such as your name, email address, phone number, and a short description of your situation. When you become a client, the firm collects the financial records, tax documents, and identification details needed to perform the engagement, along with messages and documents you exchange through the client portal.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the website, standard server log data is recorded, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you view, and the page that referred you. The firm also uses limited analytics to understand, in aggregate, how the site is used so it can be improved.

The public website does not ask for sensitive information. Tax documents and identification are exchanged only through the secure client portal or another method agreed in writing.

3. How the firm uses information

Cowell & Co. uses the information it collects to:

• respond to inquiries and schedule consultations;
• prepare and file tax returns and deliver bookkeeping and advisory services;
• communicate with you about your engagement and about deadlines that affect you;
• send the optional monthly newsletter, if you have subscribed;
• operate, secure, and improve the website and the client portal; and
• meet the firm's legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.

4. Tax return information

Federal law, specifically Internal Revenue Code Section 7216, restricts how a tax return preparer may use or disclose the information a client provides to prepare a return. Cowell & Co. uses tax return information only to prepare and file your returns and to provide the related services you have requested. The firm will not use or disclose that information for any other purpose without your prior written consent, except where the law requires or permits the disclosure.

5. How information is shared

Cowell & Co. does not sell personal information. Information is shared only in these circumstances:

• with the IRS, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and other tax authorities, in order to file returns and respond to notices on your behalf;
• with service providers that support the firm's operations, such as secure document hosting, electronic filing transmission, and email delivery, each under confidentiality obligations and only to the extent needed to perform their function;
• when required by law, court order, subpoena, or a request from a regulatory body such as the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy; and
• in connection with a sale or reorganization of the practice, subject to the confidentiality protections described in this policy.

6. Professional confidentiality

As a CPA practice, Cowell & Co. is bound by the confidentiality requirements of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and the Texas Public Accountancy Act. The firm treats all client information as confidential. You should be aware that communications with a CPA are not protected by a broad accountant-client privilege in the way attorney-client communications are; a limited federal confidentiality protection applies to certain non-criminal tax matters under Internal Revenue Code Section 7525.

7. Data security

The firm maintains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information. These include encrypted transmission and storage for documents exchanged through the client portal, access controls, and a written information security program consistent with the safeguards expected of tax professionals. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and the firm cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Cookies and website analytics

The website uses a small number of cookies and similar technologies to keep the site working and to understand aggregate usage. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not work as intended without them. The client portal uses local browser storage to remember interface preferences, such as the last view you opened.

9. Data retention

Cowell & Co. retains client records for the period required by professional standards, tax authorities, and applicable law, generally for at least seven years after an engagement ends, and longer where a specific record or a legal hold requires it. Information from website inquiries is kept only as long as needed to respond and for reasonable follow-up.

10. Your choices and rights

You may request access to the personal information the firm holds about you, ask that inaccurate information be corrected, and unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the link in each email. You may decline to provide information, though some information is necessary for the firm to deliver its services.

To the extent the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act applies, Texas residents may have additional rights regarding their personal data, including the right to confirm whether the firm processes it and to request its correction or deletion. These rights are subject to the recordkeeping obligations that apply to tax and accounting records. To exercise any of these rights, contact the firm using the details below.

11. Children's privacy

The website and the firm's services are intended for adults and for business clients. Cowell & Co. does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information to the firm, please contact it so the information can be removed.

12. Changes to this policy

Cowell & Co. may update this policy to reflect changes in its practices or in the law. The current version is always posted on this page with its effective date. Material changes that affect active clients will be communicated directly.

13. Contact

Questions about this policy, or about how your information is handled, can be directed to Cowell & Co. through the contact page or by the phone number and mailing address listed in the site footer.