LZ Tax Privacy Policy
LZ Tax takes your privacy and security seriously. This Privacy Policy
details how LZ Tax, which is a dba of Purely Solutions, LLC, a wholly
owned subsidiary of LegalZoom.com, Inc., (“LZ Tax,” “us,” or “we”)
collects, uses, processes and discloses the data about you. It also
shares information about the choices available to you in controlling
how your data is used as well as rights that may apply to you based on
where you reside. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into our
Terms of Service
. This means that by using LZ Tax services, you are agreeing to this
Privacy Policy.
The scope of this Privacy Policy covers data that LZ Tax has by virtue
of providing and marketing tax advice and tax preparation services. At
times, in order to access LZ Tax services, you may also interact with
LegalZoom.com, Inc. (“LegalZoom”), LZ Tax’s parent company. When you
interact with LegalZoom, your data is subject to the
LegalZoom Privacy Policy
.
If you have questions about this policy or our privacy and security,
or if you would like to exercise any of your rights around how data
about you is used, you can let us know using the form located
here
. Alternatively, you may contact LZ Tax at (855) 787-1239. If you are
a consumer with a disability and are having trouble accessing this
Privacy Policy, you may request to receive this Privacy Policy by
calling (855) 787-1239 or by submitting a request using the form
located
here
.
The Personal Information We Collect.
In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain what types of
identifiable data we collect. What type of information is collected
depends on how you interact with us (e.g. over the phone, by email,
through a website), the types of services we are providing, and what
information you or a related customer chooses to share with us. This
section includes all the types of data that we may collect, but we will
rarely collect all this data about any single person or entity.
This section of our Privacy Policy does not include data that is not
reasonably capable of being linked to a particular person or entity. For
instance, it does not include de-identified or aggregate data that we
may collect.
The types of data that LZ Tax collects are:
Identifiers
: Examples of the types of identifiers that LZ Tax may collect include
real names, nicknames, postal addresses, online identifiers, Internet
Protocol addresses (“IP addresses”), email addresses, and account
numbers.
Sensitive Information
: Examples of the types of sensitive information that LZ Tax may
collect includes social security, driver's license, state
identification card, passport numbers, and other government
identification numbers as well as usernames and passwords for accounts
connected to your account.
Biometric information
: With your consent, LegalZoom may work with Stripe to use technology
to verify your identity by comparing a digital image of your face to
the picture on the government identification you provide.
Characteristics protected under some laws
: Examples of the types of characteristics that LZ Tax may collect
include age, national origin, citizenship, marital status, medical
information, sex, sexual orientation, and veteran or military status.
Commercial information
: Examples of the types of commercial information that LZ Tax may
collect includes records of business and other property owned,
products or services considered or purchased from LZ Tax, LegalZoom,
or other third parties and how you’ve used products and services
you’ve purchased, and other purchasing or consuming histories or
tendencies.
Internet information
: Examples of the types of internet or other electronic network
activity information that LZ Tax may collect includes browsing
history, search history, information about the device used to access
our website or applications, and information regarding interactions
with LZ Tax’s, LegalZoom’s or our partners’ websites, applications, or
advertisements. We may also collect information from visitors to our
website such as browser settings, operating systems, referring/exit
pages, and clickstream data. When we send you an email, we may also
collect information, including about how you interact with that email.
Geolocation information
: LZ Tax may collect information about where you live and where you do
business.
Audio and visual information
: LZ Tax may make audio recordings of calls with our customers. We may
also make visual recordings people when they visit our premises or
when they specifically agree that we may take their photograph or
videotape them. We do not collect thermal or olfactory information.
Professional and employment-related information
: Examples of the types of professional and employment-related
information LZ Tax may collect includes information about professional
status and affiliations, employment history, and employment status.
Other types of information
: Examples of other types of information include physical
characteristics or descriptions of you, telephone number, insurance
policy number, education, employment, financial information including
tax related information, bank account, credit card, and debit car
numbers, and health insurance information. It also includes
additional information provided to LZ Tax directly by you or a person
or business you are related to, such as questionnaires or surveys are
completed or when we are provided information so that we can provide
advice or tax preparation services. This category includes
information identified as "Personal Information" in California Civil
Code Section 1798.80(e) that is not otherwise categorized.
Where We Collect Personal Information.
In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain where and how we
collect data.
Customers
: The majority of the data that we collect comes directly or
indirectly from our customers. Information that is collected directly
from you is information that you provide when you provide us
documents, give us access to your accounts with other companies,
complete questionnaires or speak to us on the phone. We may also
collect information indirectly about you when you interact with our
website or the LegalZoom website, using cookies and other tracking
technologies.
Related Parties
: We may collect information about you from someone you know. For
instance, if you own an interest in a business that we prepare taxes
for or if you a dependent of someone who we prepare taxes for, we may
collect information about you in connection with that tax filing.
Service Providers
: We may collect information about you from our Service Providers. As
used in this Privacy Policy, Service Providers means entities that LZ
Tax or LegalZoom has contracted with to provide us with services to
help fulfill our business needs. Service Providers may also assist us
in collecting information both directly and indirectly from you.
Professionals (including Legal Plan Attorneys and other
Professionals):
We may collect information about you from the independent
professionals with whom you may schedule a consult with through
LegalZoom’s Legal Plans or other product offerings. An example of the
type of information that we may receive from these professionals
includes the fact that they have referred you to LZ Tax for tax advice
about a specific topic. While we cannot control what information legal
plan attorneys share with us, LZ Tax does not intend to collect any
information from attorneys where the collection would result in a
waiver of the attorney-client privilege.
Business Partners and Affiliates:
We may collect information about you from our business partners and
affiliates. An example of the type of information that we may receive
from business partners and affiliates is information about the product
you purchased from them after you indicated an interest in an offer
that LZ Tax presented to you.
Publicly/Commercially Available Information
: We may collect information related to you from publicly available
sources of information, including government records.
How We Use the Personal Information We Collect.
In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain how we use the data
that we collect about you. LZ Tax potentially uses each category of
information that we collect for each of these purposes when we are
legally able to do so. We use technology, including automated
processing, AI, and human review to accomplish these purposes. In some
instances, we may combine information that we have collected from
multiple sources in order to fulfill these purposes.
If we decided to use the data we have collected for additional purposes
that are inconsistent with what is described below, we will let you know
of our plans and give you information about your legal rights regarding
your personal information.
Providing Products and Services
: We use data for the purpose of providing you with products and
services. Examples of these uses include producing and delivering
documents purchased by customers, administering the LegalZoom website,
and displaying content based on customer preferences.
Security
: We use data to ensure that we maintain appropriate security over
computer networks and our physical facilities, as well as detecting
fraud or other suspicious activities.
Marketing
: We use data for marketing to current and prospective customers. More
information about how you can control the marketing you receive from
us is located in the section “How You Can Control The Information LZ
Tax May Have About You.”
Product Development:
We use data to improve our existing products and to develop new
products, including machine learning or Artificial Intelligence ("AI")
technologies.
Analytics:
We use data for analytics. For example, we use data to gain insights
into how to make our processes more efficient, the types of customers
that may be interested in our products and services, and how to better
balance the workload across our teams. We may also use information to
develop inferences from the information we collect regarding consumer
preferences, characteristics, predispositions, behaviors, and
attitudes.
Operational Purposes:
We use data for our operational purposes, and the operational purposes
of our service providers and business partners. For instance, we may
use information for training and quality assurance, for conducting
surveys or sweepstakes, to promote our brand, and to use in connection
with our relationships with service providers and business partners.
Financial Reporting:
We use data for use in various types of financial reporting and other
similar internal uses. Examples of the types of financial reporting
that we may use consumer information in connection with are internal
budgets and projections, calculation of compensation, and reporting to
investors.
Meeting Legal Requirements
: We use data to meet our legal obligations, such as verifying your
identity and responding to legal subpoenas.
Business Transfers
: If LZ Tax undertakes or is involved in any merger, acquisition,
reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or insolvency event, then
we may sell, transfer or share some or all of our assets, including
information related to consumers in connection with the transaction or
in contemplation of the transaction (such as conducting due
diligence). If such an event occurs, your information may be treated
like any other LZ Tax asset and sold, transferred, or shared with
third parties, or used in ways not contemplated or permitted under
this Privacy Policy. In this case, you will be notified via email
and/or a prominent notice on our site of any change in ownership or
uses of your Personal Information, as well as any choices you may have
regarding your Personal Information.
How We Disclose Personal Information.
In this section of the Privacy Policy, we explain who we share data with
and when we share it.
Service Providers
: We share data with Service Providers who assist us with completing
the business purposes outlined in the “How We Use the Information We
Collect” section. These companies are not authorized to use the
information we share with them for any purpose other than providing
services to LZ Tax or our customers.
Related Consumers
: In limited circumstances, we may provide information about you to
someone you know. For instance, if we prepare taxes for you and your
filing status is “Married Filed Jointly,” we will share requested
information about the tax filing with your spouse.
Government Entities
: We may share information about you with government entities in order
to provide products and services. For example, if we prepare taxes for
a business or an individual, we may transmit that tax filing to the
relevant taxing authority as part of our services.
Required by Law:
We may disclose information when legally required to do so, such as in
response to a subpoena, a lawful request by a public authority,
including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements,
or similar legal process, and when we believe in good faith that
disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or
the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a legal
request.
Related Parties:
We may share information with LegalZoom, our parent company. We
will only share your tax data with LegalZoom if you expressly agree
that we can share this special type of data with LegalZoom.
Information that is shared with LegalZoom will be used according to
LegalZoom’s Privacy Policy
. Also, if LZ Tax is merged, acquired, or sold, or if some or all of
our assets or equity are transferred, we may disclose or transfer data
in connection with the associated transactions.
Business Partners:
LZ Tax may share information with business partners. We may share
information with business partners when:
- You express interest in an offer from one of our partners. Based on your interest we may share information about you with that partner.
- When you purchase a product from us that is bundled with a product offered by a business partner, we will share information about you with those business partners so that they can provide you with the product or services included with your purchase.
When we may legally do so, LZ Tax may also share de-identified or
aggregate data that is not capable of being linked to any individual
person with additional entities not listed above.
Your Options Regarding the Personal Information Collected by LZ Tax.
This section describes how you can access and control the information
that LZ Tax may have about you. It applies to both our customers and
people who believe that LZ Tax may have been provided with information
about them by a third party. Depending on where you reside, you may have
additional rights beyond what is described in this section. If you are a
resident of California, please review the section “Information for
California Residents” for more information about your rights.
Confirmation of Possession of Information Related to You
. Upon a verified request, and subject to the privacy interests of
others and technical limitations, LZ Tax will provide you with
information about whether we have any information about you and what
that information is. At our sole discretion, unless otherwise required
by law, we may correct or delete information upon a verified request.
Please note, however, that in certain circumstances we may be required
by law to retain information, or may need to retain information in
order to continue providing a product or service to you or another
customer.
If you would like to submit a request about your data, you may do so
by completing the form located
here
, or by calling us at (855) 787-1239. After you submit the request,
you will be asked to verify your email address and may also be asked
to provide additional information in order to verify your identity.
Opting Out of Email.
We send promotional emails and newsletters from time to time. You can
opt out of promotional communications by using the “Unsubscribe” link
and following the unsubscribe instructions in an email you receive
from us or by emailing us at privacy@legalzoom.com. We may also
send service-related or transactional communications, which are not
promotional. Generally, you may not opt out of these
communications.
Opting Out of Marketing Calls.
If you wish to be placed on LZ Tax’s internal “Do Not Call” list, you
can tell us either while speaking to us on the phone or by emailing us
at privacy@legalzoom.com.
If you have an unresolved privacy or data use concern that we have not
addressed satisfactorily, please contact our U.S.-based third party
dispute resolution provider (free of charge) at
https://feedback-form.truste.com/watchdog/request
.
How Long We Retain Information
We retain information for at least as long as necessary to provide our
products and services. We also retain information, including information
about former customers, for at least as long as necessary to comply with
our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
LZ Tax's Security Practices
We are committed to protecting the personal information that we collect
and ensuring our products and services are provided in a secure manner.
We have implemented security measures designed to protect the personal
information that we maintain. This includes implementing physical,
technical, and administrative safeguards to secure the information we
collect. We use industry-standard SSL/TLS to transmit payment card
information. We also regularly monitor our systems for possible
vulnerabilities and attacks.
Regardless of the measures and efforts that LZ Tax takes to protect
personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute protection and
security of your personal information. For instance, when we transmit
documents to you via mail delivery services or electronically, there
remains the possibility that this information may be misdirected,
misdelivered, or intercepted.
If you believe that you have discovered a security vulnerability in
our website or services, you may let us know at
https://www.legalzoom.com/security/responsible-disclosure-policy
. If you believe that someone has accessed your personal information
or that your personal information has been misused, please let us know
immediately by submitting your concerns through our online
Privacy Form
.
Information for U.S. Residents of States with Comprehensive Privacy
Laws.
If you are a U.S. resident of a state with a comprehensive privacy law,
this section provides information regarding your rights, and LZ Tax’s
responsibilities, regarding your personal information.
Your Rights
Certain states have privacy laws that provide consumers with rights
regarding their personal information, such as the right to request:
- Specific information about what information LZ Tax has collected about you,
- A copy of your personal information,
- Corrections to inaccuracies in the personal information LZ Tax maintains about you, and
- The deletion of your personal information.
These rights are not absolute, and in some circumstances, we may decline
to satisfy your request. For example, if we are unable to verify
your identity or if your request impacts other people’s privacy rights,
we may deny your request to exercise these rights. We may also
deny your request when LZ Tax has the legal right to do so, such as when
we have an ongoing business relationship with you, an ongoing need to
use the information for purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or we
are legally required to retain your personal information. If we
deny your request to exercise your privacy rights, we will tell you why
we are denying the request and provide you with information about how to
appeal this decision.
If you choose to exercise your privacy rights, we will not charge you
different prices or provide a different quality of services unless those
differences are related to your personal information.
How to Submit a Request for Access, Correction, or Deletion of
Personal Information
If you would like to submit a request about your personal information,
we encourage you to do so by completing the form located
here
. You can also submit a request by emailing
privacyrequests@legalzoom.com
or by calling our toll-free number at (800) 773-0888.
After you submit the request, you will be asked to verify your email
address and may also be asked to provide additional information to
verify your identity. LegalZoom will attempt to verify your
identity by asking for information that correlates with the information
that we have previously collected about you. If this is not
possible, LegalZoom may request you submit additional information for
verification, such as proof of residency or redacted government-issued
identification.
You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your
behalf. To designate an authorized agent, you must provide
LegalZoom with written permission for the agent to make the request on
your behalf or provide us with an executed power of attorney. You
will also be required to submit both your and the authorized agent’s
valid government-issued identification.
How to Appeal a Denial of a Request for Access, Correction, or
Deletion of Personal Information
If LZ Tax denies your request about your personal information, you may
submit an appeal of the decision by completing the form located
here
. You can also submit a request by emailing
privacyrequests@legalzoom.com
. After you submit the request, you will be asked to verify your
email address.
Once an appeal is submitted and your email is verified, the request and
our response will be reviewed. In connection with this review, we
may request that you submit additional information regarding your
request. We will notify you of the outcome of the appeal within 60
days.
Selling, Sharing, and Use of Personal Information for Targeted
Advertising
LegalZoom does not "sell" this information for money. However, we
engage in routine online activities with third parties in ways that
could be considered a "sale" or "sharing" as defined under applicable
law. If you would like to opt-out of the use of your personal
information for these purposes, you can submit this request through the
link at the bottom of our homepage called “Your privacy choices.”
Changes To This Policy.
We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes to our information
practices. If we make any material changes a notice will be posted on
this page along with the updated Privacy Policy prior to the change
becoming effective. We encourage you to review this page periodically
for the latest information on our privacy practices.
If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy, please contact
us by submitting your question through our Privacy web form, located
here
.
Updated: June 4, 2024
