Privacy Policy

The Forvis Mazars Australia Group includes Forvis Mazars Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars (NSW) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars AOS (NSW) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Corporate Advisory (NSW) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Wealth Management Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Risk & Assurance Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars APAC Energy and Infrastructure Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars (Qld & NT) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Assurance Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars HR Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Administration (Qld & NT) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars SP (Qld & NT) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Corporate Finance Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Superannuation (Qld & NT) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Wealth Strategists (Qld & NT) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Financial Advisory (Qld & NT) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars (Vic) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars HR Advisory Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Audit & Assurance Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Holdings (Vic) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Transaction Advisory Services (Vic) Pty Ltd, Forvis Mazars Transaction Advisory Services Pty Ltd.

In this Policy, we, us and our means each member of the Forvis Mazars Australia Group.

By using our websites and services, or otherwise providing us with your personal information, you consent to us collecting, holding, using and disclosing your personal information as described in the Policy. If we are not able to collect, handle, use and disclose personal information about you as set out in this Policy, we may not be able to provide you with our services or with access to our website.

Our Commitment to Privacy

We have created this Policy in order to demonstrate our strong commitment to privacy, and in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles as governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act), which can be accessed here.

This Policy is current at 25 November 2019 and will be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws and technology, changes to our operations and practices and the changing business environment.  The most current version of this Policy is available at  www.forvismazars.com/au and can also be obtained by contacting our Privacy Officer at mazarsAU@mazars.com.au.

What personal information do we collect?

We collect both personal information and non-personal information.  In this Policy, personal information has the meaning given to it in the Privacy Act.

We may collect personal information about:

• our clients, business associates, potential clients and their personnel;
• other individuals in the course of acting for our clients;
• our suppliers and their employees;
• our employees, partners, contractors, former employees, former partners, former contractors or prospective employees, contractors or partners; and
• other people who come into contact with a member of the Forvis Mazars Australia Group.

General personal information

In general, the personal information we may collect and hold includes name, date of birth, contact details (including email addresses, mailing address and phone number), occupation, company name, personal preferences, payment details, employment history, education and qualifications, testimonials and feedback and other information which assists us in conducting our business, providing and marketing our services and meeting our legal obligations.  We may also collect and process information provided to us by our browser when you visit our website, for example the website you came from, your location information, IP address, web browser or device type and the time and date of access.

Sensitive personal information

We occasionally collect sensitive information about you if you have consented or we are required or authorised by law to do so. This is to enable us to give you the best possible service, for example, claiming a deduction of trade union dues or medical expenses for the completion of your income tax return. 

Sensitive personal information includes the following:

• Tax file numbers;
• Ethnic or racial origin;
• Political opinions;
• Membership of a political association;
• Religious beliefs or affiliations;
• Philosophical beliefs;
• Membership of a professional or trade association;
• Membership of a trade union;
• Sexual preference or practices;
• Criminal record;
• Health; and
• Biometric templates.

Credit personal information

As we supply services with payment terms in excess of 7 days we are considered to be a credit provider pursuant to the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code 2014. 

We may collect credit information from you as part of our normal provision of services. Credit information includes details of your financial arrangements with credit providers, credit applications and outstanding credit details.  We do not share information with credit reporting bodies without your permission. 

How do we collect and hold information?

The information that we collect depends on the nature of your interactions with us.  We may collect personal information from you directly or indirectly, and in some instances from third parties.  These interactions may include when:

• you engage us to provide you with accounting/tax/audit/business advisory services;
• you sign up for, or express an interest in, our services through our website;
• you register for seminars and events or complete surveys;
• you engage with us on our website or social media;
• you send an email or other correspondence to us or our employees;
• we collect personal information from a third party, such as the Australian Taxation Office, your financial institutions or your solicitor.

We may hold your personal information in physical files, electronically and in some instances through third party storage providers in Australia or overseas.

You may deal with us anonymously or with an alias at times (for example, to obtain general information about our services) but you will receive a better response if we know who you are or the service you require. When we provide our services to you, we will need to use your real name.

By providing us with this information, you expressly consent to our use of your personal information in accordance with this privacy policy. 

How do we protect your personal information?

We will take reasonable steps to protect personal information held from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, for example by use of physical security and restricted access to electronic records.  Our personnel are required to respect the confidentiality of personal information and the privacy of individuals.

Where we no longer require your personal information, or are no longer required for statutory purposes, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it. 

Why do we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information? 

In general, we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information for the primary purposes for which it was collected, including:

• to conduct our business;
• to provide and market goods and services;
• to communicate with you to provide or promote our products or services;
• to help us manage, develop and enhance our services, including our websites;
• to consider the suitability of prospective employees;
• to comply with our legal obligations; and
• to administer, maintain, support and provide upgrades to our services.

We may also use and disclose your personal information for a secondary purpose that is related to a purpose for which we collected it, where you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose your personal information for that secondary purpose.

We may also use or disclose your personal information for another purpose which you consent to or which is required or permitted by law.  If at any time you receive material that you did not request or do not want to receive such material any more, you can opt out using the link in our direct marketing communications or please contact Privacy Officer at MazarsAU@mazars.com.au to unsubscribe or update your preferences.

Who do we disclose personal information to?

We disclose your personal information (including, in certain limited circumstances, your sensitive information) for the purpose for which it was collected:

• to other members of the Forvis Mazars Group;
• to entities who assist us in providing our services (including hosting and data storage providers and debt collectors);
• in confidence, to our advisers and insurers;
• in confidence, to third parties to improve our services and obtain feedback; and
• where the use or disclosure is authorised or required by or under an Australian law or court/tribunal order.

Are we likely to disclose your personal information overseas?

There may be situations where your information may be accessed or stored overseas by other entities (including other members of the Mazars Group) who assist us in providing services or who perform functions on our behalf. Where we disclose your personal information to overseas third party service providers (or other members of the Forvis Mazars Group), we will at all times remain responsible for their handling of that information. Such third party service providers may be located in particular in the United States, Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore. Other members of the Mazars Group are located in jurisdictions listed on the Mazars website at. We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information will only be transferred at your request to another country where we reasonably believe the privacy laws provide at least the same level of protection as that provided by the Australian Privacy Principles.  We will also take steps to require that those recipients protect that information from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, and from misuse, interference and loss.

How do you access, and correct your personal information?

Subject to the exceptions set out in the Privacy Act, you may seek access to and the correction of the personal information which we hold about you by:

• Contacting our Privacy Officer at mazarsAU@mazars.com.au. We may charge you a small fee under certain circumstances to cover our costs when giving you access but we will always confirm this with you first. We do not charge you a fee for making an enquiry, or for correcting your personal information.
• Clicking on the unsubscribe link placed at the bottom of general email communications.  We will only retain and use personal information for such period as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected from you, to comply with our legal obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreement after which we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify personal information, unless otherwise required by law.

Online Policy and links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites operated by third parties.  We make no representations or warranties in relation to the privacy practices of any third party website and we are not responsible for the privacy policies or content of any third party website.  If you visit these websites, they will be governed by their own terms of use (including privacy policies). Our website uses Cookies and Google Analytics which allows us to identify the browsers used by those using our site. This information allows us to track usage patterns to measure the level of interest in various areas of our site. All browsers have the facility to notify users when they receive a Cookie and elect to either accept it or not. You can opt out of your information being tracked by Google Analytics In addition, each Internet Service Provider should be able to assist users with their preferences.

The information collected on our website will depend on how the facilities are used and may include some personal details. For example, if a person visits the website to browse or download information, our system will record the date and time of the activities, the information viewed or downloaded. In the event that a person enters information in the process of completing an email or any other on-line forms, we will collect the information submitted.

We use a third-party provider, MailChimp, to deliver our newsletter and other general marketing communication. We gather statistics around email opening and clicks using industry standard technologies to help us monitor and improve our mailings. For more information, you can unsubscribe to our mailings at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of our emails or by emailing us.

Children

We understand the importance of protecting children's privacy, especially in an online environment. In particular, our websites are not intentionally designed for or directed at children under the age of 13. It is our policy to never knowingly collect or maintain information about anyone under the age of 13, except as part of the process to provide professional services which necessitates such personal information to be collected or for the purposes of ensuring compliance with various policies. 

European residents

In addition to the Privacy Act, if you are an individual in a country in the European Economic Area (EEA), our GDPR Collection Notice provides further information about our processing of your personal information, the basis on which we collect your personal information and your additional data subject rights under the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR).  The Forvis Mazars Australia Group is a data controller for our website and services provided through our website at the address shown above.

How you can make a privacy related query or complaint

If you have any questions about privacy-related issues or wish to complain about a breach of your privacy or the handling of your personal information by us, please refer to our Complaints Page contact the relevant office below: 

Privacy Officers

Brisbane – Mark Sheridan

Level 11, 307 Queen Street
Brisbane Qld 4000

GPO Box 2268
Brisbane Qld 4001

Phone: +61 7 3218 3900

Email: mark.sheridan@forvismazars.com 

Melbourne – Brad Purvis

Level 5, 600 Bourke Street
Melbourne Vic 3000

Phone: +61 9252 0800

Email: brad.purvis@forvismazars.com  

Sydney – James Martin

Level 12 Arthur Street
North Sydney NSW 2060

PO Box 1994
North Sydney NSW 2059

Phone: +61 2 9922 1166

Email: james.martin@forvismazars.com 

Any complaint will be investigated by the Privacy Officer/s and you will be notified of the making of a decision in relation to your complaint as soon as practicable after it has been made, usually within 30 days.

If we are unable to satisfactorily resolve your concerns about our handling of your personal information, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on the details below: 

GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001

Tel: 1300 363 992