SmartCABuddy ("SmartCABuddy", "we", "us", "our") provides practice-management software for Chartered Accountants. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we handle, why, and the choices and rights you have. We process personal data in accordance with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and applicable rules.
1. Who this policy is for
This policy covers two kinds of people:
- Our customers and their team members — the CA firm (the "Subscriber") and the users it creates (owners, managers, team members, trainees) who sign in to the application.
- Visitors to www.smartcabuddy.com who contact us or request a demo.
Where a Subscriber uploads information about its own clients into the application, the Subscriber is the Data Fiduciary for that client data and SmartCABuddy acts as a Data Processor on the Subscriber's instructions. The Subscriber is responsible for having a lawful basis and the necessary notices/consents for the client data it stores with us.
2. What data we collect
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Account & profile | Name, username, email, mobile number, role, organisation/firm code. |
| Customer content | Client records, engagements, deadlines, fees/payments, documents and notes that the firm chooses to store in the application. |
| Usage & technical | Log data, IP address, device/browser type, timestamps, and actions taken (for security, audit and support). |
| Communications | Messages you send us by email, WhatsApp or the demo form. |
We do not sell personal data, and we do not use customer content to train AI models.
3. Why we use it (purposes)
- To provide, secure and maintain the application and your account.
- To send operational notifications (for example, WhatsApp alerts when work is assigned).
- To provide customer support and respond to your requests.
- To keep an audit trail and prevent fraud or misuse.
- To comply with legal obligations.
4. Legal basis
We process personal data on the basis of the consent you provide and/or the legitimate uses permitted under the DPDP Act, including providing a service you have signed up for and complying with law.
5. Sharing & sub-processors
We share personal data only with service providers that help us run the application, under contracts that require them to protect it. These currently include:
- Cloud hosting — for running the application and database.
- Messaging — to deliver WhatsApp notifications.
- Payments (when billing is enabled) — to process subscription payments.
We may also disclose data where required by law or to protect rights and safety. Your firm's data is logically isolated from other firms' data.
6. Data retention
We retain account and customer content for as long as your subscription is active and as needed to provide the service. On termination, we delete or de-identify personal data within a reasonable period, except where retention is required by law. You can request earlier deletion (see Your rights).
7. Security
We use technical and organisational safeguards including encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, per-firm data isolation, and audit logging. See our Data Security page for details. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and to notify affected users and the authorities of a breach as required by law.
8. Your rights
Subject to the DPDP Act, you may:
- access a summary of the personal data we hold about you;
- request correction, completion or updating of your data;
- request erasure of your data;
- withdraw consent (this does not affect processing already carried out); and
- nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity.
If your data was provided by your firm (your employer), please contact your firm first; we will assist the firm as its processor. To exercise rights or raise a grievance, contact our Grievance Officer below.
Grievance Officer
Brij Mohan Sharma — Grievance Officer, SmartCABuddy
Email: support@smartcabuddy.com
WhatsApp / Phone: +91-8872212000
We aim to acknowledge grievances within a reasonable time and resolve them as required under the DPDP Act.
9. Children
The application is intended for use by professionals and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect data of children without verifiable parental consent.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the revised version here with a new "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify you in the application.
11. Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? See our Contact page or email support@smartcabuddy.com.
This document is provided for transparency and does not constitute legal advice. SmartCABuddy is built and supported by Team SmartCABuddy. Legal entity: Brij Mohan Sharma (HUF), with its principal place of business at Bajwa Market, Aman Nagar, Kapurthala, Punjab 144601, India.