Terms and Conditions
These Terms & Conditions form an integral part of any contract between Zenith Accounts and clients.
Our Commitment to You
In provision of services, we undertake to:
- Keep set appointment times or advise you promptly if we are unavoidably detained.
- Maintain confidentiality (see below).
- Treat your staff and property with respect at all times.
- Work efficiently and diligently, and charge only for productive time.
- Strive for the best possible outcomes for your financial wellbeing.
- Keep you informed of progress.
- Present your business in a good light by way of appearance and behaviour.
- Follow Workplace Health and Safety requirements.
Ethics and Work Standards
We undertake to perform all work contracted to us by you in a timely and professional manner.
We work in accordance with the professional standards and Code of Conduct as required by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) and, subordinate to that, our own Standard of Ethics as outlined on our website.
We undertake to make all reasonable efforts to meet all statutory deadlines for submission of documents and returns, provided that you give us all required information by our stated deadlines.
We undertake to work within our level of expertise and legal limitations and to ensure we seek third-party advice where necessary to produce accurate outcomes.
We maintain Professional Indemnity insurance to at least the minimum amount required by the TPB. Our current Indemnity cover is $250,000.00. We also maintain Public Liability insurance in the amount of $5,000,000.00.
In accordance with TPB standards of conduct we undertake to act in your best interests in the performance of our work. However, we are also obliged to act in accordance with Australian law and in the public interest. We will not be a party to or assist with any illegal or unethical business or personal activities.
Ownership of Documents and Files
All documents and data files provided by you and all documents and data files created or added to by us for you or on your behalf – whether in paper or electronic form – remain your property.
We reserve the right to make and retain (for any period of time) copies of any document or data file provided by you and used to produce work outcomes for you.
We may create and retain such notes and records as we consider necessary – for quality control and professional indemnity protection – relating to the nature of the services we provide, the extent of those services and the means by which we arrive at outcomes necessary to provide those services. Such documents are confidential and ownership remains with us. Their contents need not be divulged to you except as required by legal process.
Confidentiality and Third-Parties
We undertake to secure and keep confidential all information concerning your business or private affairs which comes to our knowledge in the course of performing work for you. We will not to disclose this information to any third party or use the information to our own advantage.
We undertake that any of your business information, data, or records held by us will be used solely for the purposes of providing financial services to you.
We undertake that this assurance extends to any people employed or sub-contracted by us to perform services for you, and we indemnify you against any breaches of confidence by such persons.
Regardless of the above, we may disclose client information in the following circumstances:
1. To a qualified accountant, Registered Tax Agent, Registered BAS Agent or other professional for the purpose of quality assurance of our work or for the purpose of obtaining information to ensure accuracy in the services we provide you. Where possible, identifying information will be removed from such information.
2. If required by law or the order of a Court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction.
Outsourcing: We will only outsource work done on your behalf to qualified professionals (registered BAS Agents, Tax Agents). We will require them to accept these terms and conditions in writing. We will seek your approval beforehand.
Liaison with your accountant / financial adviser or other third parties: We will seek your approval before communicating with your professional advisers, unless such communication is part of an established thread. We may communicate with any third party you have previously nominated with without further reference to you, unless you withdraw such approval in writing.
We reserve the right to communicate with and provide relevant information to any person we reasonably believe to be a director of your company / trustee of your trust / legal business partner as the case may be, or to anyone who has a legal right to receive such information.
Cloud services: We will advise you if we intend to enter your financial information onto online cloud-based computer software. We reserve the right to utilise cloud-based storage to store backup security copies of client information, unless you specifically advise us not to.
Conflict of Interest: We will attempt to identify and resolve any conflicts of interest that arise that may impact on our relationship with you while performing our contracted services.
What We Require from You
To provide us with complete and accurate information and reasonable assistance necessary for us to complete the contracted work and produce the required outcomes.
To respond to all requests for information by required deadlines.
If the contracted work is to be performed on your premises, to provide us with work conditions which are in accordance with relevant Workplace Health and Safety standards and reasonable conditions of ergonomic efficiency.
If the contracted work is to be performed on your premises, to provide access to the premises at all reasonable times to ensure required deadlines can be met.
To advise us as soon as you become aware of any errors in our work or in any information you have previously provided to us.
To advise us of any change in circumstances likely to lead to non-trivial changes in: the volume of work to be performed; the actual tasks to be performed; the required outcomes of the work performed; the technology used to complete the work; or timelines or deadlines.
To undertake to operate your business in an ethical and lawful manner, and not expect or request us to engage in or assist with any unethical or illegal activities.
What We are NOT Responsible For
Anything outside the scope of the contracted work and the required outcomes as formally agreed upon from time-to-time.
Lack of awareness on your part of anything you ought to know or be aware of as a responsible business owner/partner/director/trustee.
Any consequences of any work processing tasks performed by you or your staff, or any changes made to data files, over which we have no control or knowledge.
Consequences of incomplete or inaccurate information provided by you or your staff.
Invoicing and Payment
We expect prompt payment of all our invoices. Our payment terms are normally cleared funds seven days from your receipt of our invoice, unless otherwise negotiated.
If you are unable to meet these terms you should advise us promptly so that other payment arrangements can be negotiated.
We reserve the right to discontinue providing professional services until such time as payment is made in accordance with payment terms or negotiated payment arrangements. We take no responsibility for missed deadlines or any other outcome arising from such action.
Under certain circumstances we may require payment in advance. This will be communicated to you in advance of any pre-paid work commencing.
Termination of Professional Services
Either party may terminate this agreement for any reason by written communication.
We will be under no obligation to provide any assistance in transferring services to another provider.
We require payment for all work performed up until the time the agreement ceases.
All documents, computer files and other items owned by you by law or under this agreement will be returned to you or forwarded to a third-party nominated by you.
To the extent permitted by law, we reserve the right to withhold documents, files or other items until payment has been made for all work performed.