1. Introduction
Go Tax Refunds is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a fair, lawful and transparent way.
This Privacy and Cookies Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect your personal data when you visit our website, submit an enquiry, request a call back, quote or service, become our customer, communicate with us by phone, email, SMS, post or other channels, or interact with our advertising, analytics or cookie tools.
It also explains your rights and how we use cookies and similar technologies.
2. Who we are
For the purposes of UK data protection law, the data controller is:
Go Tax Refunds / Global Group of Companies
Unit 1, Astra Centre
Edinburgh Way, Harlow
Essex CM20 2BN
Telephone: 0333 004 0500
Email: sales@gotaxrefund.co.uk
If you have any questions about this policy or want to exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the details above.
3. The personal data we collect
Information you give us directly
- Full name
- Postal address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number or tax-related identifiers, where relevant
- Employment details
- Tax, income and expense information
- Bank or payment details, where needed
- Identification documents and supporting evidence you provide
- Correspondence and records of enquiries, complaints or feedback
Information collected automatically
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device type
- Operating system
- Approximate location data derived from IP
- Referral source
- Pages viewed
- Time spent on pages
- Dates and times of access
- Cookie identifiers and similar online identifiers
Information from other sources
- HMRC or other public authorities, where authorised
- Identity verification or fraud prevention providers
- Marketing or lead generation partners, where lawful
- Professional advisers and service providers
- Publicly available sources where relevant to the services we provide
4. How we use your personal data
- Respond to your enquiries
- Assess whether we can provide services to you
- Set up and manage your account or client record
- Process tax refund, tax return or related service requests
- Contact HMRC or other relevant bodies on your behalf where authorised
- Verify your identity and carry out anti-fraud checks
- Take payment or make payment to you where applicable
- Send service updates and administrative communications
- Manage complaints, disputes and customer support
- Improve our website, services and customer experience
- Monitor website performance, security and misuse
- Comply with legal, accounting, regulatory and compliance obligations
- Send marketing communications where we are allowed to do so
5. Our lawful bases for processing
Contract
Where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform our contract with you.
Legal obligation
Where processing is necessary for us to comply with legal or regulatory obligations.
Legitimate interests
Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
- Running and improving our business
- Website analytics and administration
- Fraud prevention
- Information security
- Record keeping
- Handling complaints and legal claims
- Limited direct marketing to existing or relevant contacts where permitted by law
Consent
Where we rely on consent, such as for certain marketing activity or non-essential cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time, but this will not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
6. Special category and sensitive data
In some cases, we may need to process more sensitive personal data where this is necessary for the services we provide or for legal compliance. We will only do this where there is a valid legal basis and, where required, an additional condition under data protection law.
7. If you do not provide personal data
Where we need your personal data to provide services, comply with legal obligations, or verify your identity, and you do not provide it, we may be unable to offer or continue our services.
9. International transfers
We primarily process personal data in the UK. If we transfer personal data outside the UK, we will only do so where lawful and where appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.
10. How long we keep your data
We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, anti-fraud and reporting requirements.
Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason we hold it. In many cases, client and transaction records may be retained for up to six years after the end of the customer relationship, or longer where required by law, ongoing disputes, complaint handling or legitimate business need.
We may also keep limited suppression data to ensure we honour marketing opt-outs.
11. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage.
- Access controls and permissions
- Password protection and authentication measures
- Encryption where appropriate
- Secure hosting and backup procedures
- Staff training
- Internal procedures for managing data incidents
No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the data we hold.
12. Your data protection rights
Subject to the law and depending on the basis for processing, you may have the right to:
- Be informed about how your data is used
- Request access to your personal data
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Request erasure of your personal data
- Request restriction of processing
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Object to direct marketing
- Request transfer of your data to you or another provider, where applicable
- Withdraw consent where we rely on consent
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in section 2.
13. Marketing communications
We may contact you by phone, email, SMS or post about our services where permitted by law.
Where consent is required, we will ask for it. Where we rely on another lawful route, such as the soft opt-in where applicable, you will still be given a clear opportunity to opt out.
You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in an email, replying STOP where applicable, contacting us directly, or updating your communication preferences with us.
17. Managing cookies in your browser
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through browser settings. You can usually delete existing cookies and set your browser to refuse some or all cookies.
However, if you disable strictly necessary cookies, parts of our website may not function properly.
18. Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. You should read their privacy notices before submitting personal data to them.
19. Children
Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children through our website.
20. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy and Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, technology, legal requirements or business operations.
When we update this policy, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.
21. Contact us
Go Tax Refunds / Global Group of Companies
Unit 1, Astra Centre
Edinburgh Way, Harlow
Essex CM20 2BN
Telephone: 0333 004 0500
Email: sales@gotaxrefund.co.uk
22. ICO contact details
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF