Privacy Policy

(updated august 2024)

Name and contact details of the responsible person

This privacy policy provides information about the processing of personal data on the website of the law firm of:

S&F Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH
Eifelstraße 18
54634 Bitburg

E-Mail: info@steuerberatung-sf.de
Tel.: 06561 604 966-0
Fax: 06561 604 967-0

Frederic Halking
Bachelor of Arts, tax consultant, owner

Scope and purpose of the processing of personal data

2.1 Accessing the website

When this website www.steuerberatung-sf.de is accessed, data is automatically sent to the server of this website by the Internet browser used by the visitor and stored in a log file (so-called server log files) for a limited period. The following data is stored without further input from the visitor until it is automatically deleted:

IP address of the visitor's end device,
Date and time of access by the visitor,
Name and URL of the page accessed by the visitor,
Website from which the visitor accesses the law firm's website (so-called referrer URL),
browser and operating system of the visitor's end device and the name of the access provider used by the visitor.

These files are not merged with other data sources.

The processing of this personal data is justified in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1sentence 1 letter f) DSGVO. The tax consultancy has a legitimate interest in data processing for this purpose,

to establish the connection to the tax consultancy's website quickly,
to enable a user-friendly use of the website,
to recognise and guarantee the security and stability of the systems and
to facilitate and improve the administration of the website.

The processing is not carried out for the purpose of gaining knowledge about the person visiting the website.

Forwarding of data

Personal data is transferred to third parties if

in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter a) DSGVO has been expressly consented to by the data subject,
the disclosure is required for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims according to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter f) DSGVO and there is no reason to assume that the data subject has an overriding legitimate interest in the non-disclosure of their data,
there is a legal obligation for the data transfer according to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) DSGVO there is a legal obligation, and/or
required for the performance of a contractual relationship with the data subject according to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter b) DSGVO.

In other cases, personal data will not be passed on to third parties.

Cookies

So-called cookies are used on the website. These are data packets that are exchanged between the server of the tax consultancy website and the visitor's browser. These are stored by the devices used (PC, notebook, tablet, smartphone, etc.) when the website is visited. In this respect, cookies cannot cause any damage to the devices used. They do not contain viruses or other malware. Information is stored in the cookies that results in each case in connection with the specific end device used. Under no circumstances can the tax consultancy obtain direct knowledge of the identity of the visitor to the website.

Cookies are largely accepted according to the basic browser settings. The browser settings can be configured in such a way that cookies are either not accepted on the devices used or that a special message is displayed before a new cookie is created. However, it should be noted that deactivating cookies may mean that not all functions of the website can be used to the best possible effect.

The use of cookies serves to make the use of the tax consultancy's website more convenient. For example, session cookies can be used to track whether the visitor has already visited individual pages of the website. After leaving the website, these session cookies are automatically deleted.

Temporary cookies are used to improve user-friendliness. They are stored on the visitor's device for a temporary period. When the website is visited again, it is automatically recognised that the visitor has already visited the site at an earlier time and which entries and settings were made so that they do not have to be repeated.

Cookies are also used to analyse visits to the website for statistical purposes and to improve the service. These cookies make it possible to automatically recognise that the website has already been accessed by the visitor on a subsequent visit. The cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period.

The data processed by cookies are justified for the above-mentioned purposes to safeguard the legitimate interests of the tax consultancy in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter f) DSGVO.

SSL and TLS encryption

This site uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or enquiries that you send to us as the site operator. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from ‘http://’ to ‘https://’ and by the lock symbol in your browser line.

If SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Plug-Ins and Tools

6.1 Google Web Fonts (local hosting)

This site uses so-called web fonts provided by Google for the standardised display of fonts. The Google fonts are installed locally. There is no connection to Google servers.

Further information on Google Web Fonts can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

6.2 Typeform

You can send us an enquiry at any time using the application and contact form on our website. For these enquiries, we use the Typeform service for the collection and transmission of data by means of forms. Typeform is a service provided by TYPEFORM, S.L., Bac de Roda 163, 08018 Barcelona, Spain (‘Typeform S.L.’). According to its own information, Typeform does not store any data that personally identifies users (see Typeform: https://www.typeform.com/help/what-happens-to-my-data/). Further information on the handling of user data can be found in Typeform's privacy policy: https://admin.typeform.com/to/dwk6gt. Please note that Typeform is only one of various options for contacting us. Its use is accordingly voluntary and is based on your consent within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a DSGVO.

We use this data exclusively for answering your enquiry and the associated communication. Your data will be deleted as soon as your enquiry has been finally processed.

Your rights as a person involved

If your personal data is processed when you visit our website, you have the following rights as a ‘data subject’ within the meaning of the DSGVO:

7.1 Information

You can request information from us as to whether your personal data is being processed by us. There is no right to information if the provision of the requested information would violate the duty of confidentiality according to § 57 Abs. 1 StBerG or if the information must be kept secret for other reasons, due to an overriding legitimate interest of a third party. Deviating from this, there may be an obligation to provide the information if your interests outweigh the interest in confidentiality, considering the threat of damage. The right to information is also excluded if the data is only stored because it may not be deleted due to legal or statutory retention periods or exclusively serves the purposes of data backup or data protection control, provided that the provision of information would require a disproportionately high effort and processing for other purposes is excluded by suitable technical and organizational measures. If the right to information is not excluded in your case and your personal data is processed by us, you can request the following information from us:

Purposes of the processing,
Categories of personal data processed by you,
the recipients or categories of recipients to whom your personal data is disclosed, recipients in third countries,
if possible, the planned duration for which your personal data will be stored or, if this is not possible, the criteria for determining the storage period,
the existence of a right to correction or erasure or restriction of processing of personal data concerning you or a right to object to such processing,
the existence of a right of appeal to a data protection supervisory authority,
if the personal data have not been collected from you as the data subject, the available information on the origin of the data,
the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, and meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of automated decision-making,
in the case of transfer to recipients in third countries, if there is no decision by the EU Commission on the adequacy of the level of protection according to Art. 45 para. 3 DSGVO, information on which suitable guarantees are provided for the protection of personal data in accordance with Art. 46 para. 2 DSGVO.

7.2 Correction and completion

Should you discover that we have incorrect personal data about you, please notify us immediately so that we can correct this data. Should your personal data be incomplete, you may request that it be completed.

7.3 Erasure

You have the right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’), unless the processing is necessary for exercising the right of freedom of expression, the right to information or for compliance with a legal obligation or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and one of the following reasons applies:

The personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were processed.
The justification for the processing was solely your consent, which you have withdrawn.
You have objected to the processing of your personal data, which we have made public.
You have objected to the processing of personal data that we have not made public and there are no over riding legitimate grounds for the processing.
Your personal data has been processed unlawfully.
The deletion of personal data is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation to which we are subject.

There is no right to erasure if, in the case of lawful non-automated data processing, erasure is not possible or only possible with disproportionate effort due to the special type of storage and your interest in erasure is low. In this case, the restriction of processing takes the place of erasure.

7.4 Restrictions on processing

You may request that we restrict processing if one of the following reasons applies:

You challenge the accuracy of the personal data. In this case, the restriction may be requested for the period that enables us to verify the accuracy of the data.
The processing is unlawful and you request the restriction of the use of your personal data instead of erasure.
We no longer need your personal data for the purposes of the processing, but you need it for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
You have filed an objection according to Art. 21 para. 1 DSGVO. The restriction of processing can be requested as long as it has not yet been determined whether our legitimate reasons outweigh your reasons.

Restriction of processing means that the personal data will only be processed with your consent or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest. We are obliged to inform you before we lift the restriction.

7.5 Data portability

You have a right to data portability if the processing is based on your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter a) or Art. 9 para. 2 letter a) DSGVO) or on a contract to which you are a party and the processing is carried out using automated procedures. In this case, the right to data portability includes the following rights, provided that this does not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others: You may request to receive the personal data that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. You have the right to transmit this data to another controller without interference from us. Where technically feasible, you can request that we transfer your personal data directly to another responsible party.

7.6 Objections

If the processing is based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter e) DSGVO (performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority) or on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter f) DSGVO (legitimate interest of the responsible party or a third party), you have the right to object to the processing of personal data concerning you at any time for reasons arising from your situation. This also applies to profiling based on Article 6 (1) sentence1 (e) or (f) DSGVO. Once you have exercised your right to object, we will no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

You can object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes at any time. This also applies to profiling in connection with such direct marketing. After exercising this right to object, we will no longer use the personal data concerned for direct marketing purposes.

Should you wish to raise an objection, you may do so informally by telephone, e-mail, fax or by post to the address provided at the beginning of this privacy policy.

7.7 Withdrawal of consent

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. The withdrawal of consent can be communicated informally by telephone, e-mail, fax or to our postal address. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of data processing based on consent before its receipt. After receipt of the withdrawal, the data processing that was based exclusively on your consent will be discontinued.

7.8 Complaints

If you believe that the processing of personal data concerning you is unlawful, you may file a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority responsible for the place where you are staying or working or for the place where the alleged violation occurred.

Status and updating of this privacy policy

This privacy policy is dated 14 June 2024. We reserve the right to update the privacy policy in due course to improve data protection and/or adapt it to changes in official practice or case law.