1. Introduction: Who We Are
VAT Consultancy UK Ltd is a registered UK entity specialising in professional tax advisory and VAT consultancy services. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
For the purposes of UK data protection legislation, VAT Legal UK Ltd is the Data Controller responsible for the processing of your personal data collected via this website.
2. Information We Collect and the Purpose of Collection
a. Comments and User Interactions
When users submit comments or engage with our platform, we may collect:
Full name
Email address
Comment content
IP address and browser user agent (for security and anti-spam verification)
In cases where the Gravatar service is used, an anonymised hash of your email address may be submitted to confirm usage. The Gravatar privacy policy is available at: https://automattic.com/privacy/.
b. Media Uploads
Users are advised to refrain from uploading images containing embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors to the website may be able to download and extract such location data from publicly visible images.
c. Cookies
Our website uses cookies to enhance user experience and provide essential functionality. Cookies may store:
Name, email, and preferences for returning visitors
Login session identifiers
Display settings
Cookie types and duration:
Commenter cookies: stored for up to 12 months
Session cookies: cleared upon browser closure
Login/display cookies: retained from 2 days to 1 year
“Remember Me” sessions: up to 14 days
You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect functionality.
d. Embedded Content
Our site may feature embedded third-party content (e.g., videos, maps). Interaction with such embedded material is governed by the respective third party’s privacy policies and may result in independent data collection.
3. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data
We rely on the following lawful bases for processing your personal information:
Consent: For marketing communications and optional contact form submissions.
Contractual necessity: When data is required to provide services or perform pre-contractual steps.
Legal obligation: For compliance with HMRC or regulatory authorities.
Legitimate interests: For maintaining website security, improving user experience, and analysing usage trends.
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell or lease your personal data to third parties.
However, we may share data with trusted third parties, including:
IT and hosting service providers
Website analytics providers
Law enforcement or HMRC (where disclosure is required by law)
Anti-spam or fraud detection platforms
In the event of a password reset request, your IP address may be included in the reset email for verification purposes.
5. Data Retention Policy
We retain personal data only as long as necessary, based on the purpose of collection and legal obligations:
Comments and associated metadata: retained indefinitely (unless deletion is requested)
Registered user data: retained until the user deletes their account or upon request
Contact form submissions: retained for up to 6 years for legal, tax, or audit purposes
6. Your Rights Under the UK GDPR
You have the following rights concerning your personal data:
Right of access – Request a copy of your personal data
Right to rectification – Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure – Request deletion of your data where permissible
Right to restrict processing – Ask us to limit how we use your data
Right to object – Object to data processing where based on legitimate interest
Right to data portability – Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at: privacy@vatlegal.co.uk.
We may require identity verification to ensure data security.
7. International Data Transfers
While we primarily process data within the United Kingdom, certain service providers may store or access data from outside the UK. In such cases, we ensure all appropriate safeguards are in place, including the use of Standard Contractual Clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms.
8. Contact Information
For any questions, requests, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data:
Data Controller: VAT Legal UK Ltd
Email: majid.mohammed@vatlegal.co.uk
Postal Address: 19–21 Rutland Street, Bolton, BL3 3NW, United Kingdom
9. Complaints
If you believe that we have failed to protect your personal data appropriately or have concerns about how your data is handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
https://ico.org.uk
