Become a client
We appreciate you coming by for an introductory meeting. Prior to that meeting you will receive by post our brochure, list of rates and General Terms and Conditions. During the introductory meeting you can tell us exactly which activities you expect from us. Once the intake meeting has taken place, you will receive a letter of welcome from us in which, among other things, the activities that we agreed upon are described.
Professional ethics require us to notify your previous adviser, if any, about the fact that you are switching to our office. This notification on our part is also the start of collegial consultation about an efficient transfer to avoid work being done twice and preventing any oversights.
Once we have received a signed client statement and the required proof of identity, we can actually start working for you.
We ask you to sign a statement confirming that you have engaged Vastrecht and that you are familiar with the terms under which we work:
In addition you can give us an authorisation for an automatic direct debit. This is not mandatory, but you will be saving on a payment surcharge that will be included on each invoice if there is no authorisation given. With your cooperation we can keep our rates low. Download the authorisation form.
Indentification
The Dutch Provision of Services (Identification) Act (WID) obliges us to establish or verify the identity of all of our clients with legitimate identification. We are also obliged to retain a copy of your proof of identity. For that reason we ask you to provide us with the following identification:
From natural persons (clients but also individuals representing legal entities) we require a copy of a valid proof of identity (passport or ID card).
For Dutch legal entities [private limited companies (BVs) and public limited companies (NVs)] we require an extract from the Commercial Register of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as a copy of proof of identity of the individual who (as a director) is authorized to sign on behalf of the legal entity in question. To save you the trouble, we can also request the extract ourselves (charging the cost of the Chamber of Commerce), unless you gave us an extract during or shortly after the intake,. We cannot request a copy of the proof of identity of the representative. We will therefore need to receive it from you.
For foreign legal entities identity must be established by means of a certified extract from the official commercial register, or by means of a declaration from an independent lawyer or civil-law notary from the country in which the legal entity in question has its registered office.
1. What details does Vastrecht process?
- Vastrecht processes personal data. That means: we collect, retain, consult and use your data. Vastrecht processes your data. The resulting files in which those data are incorporated have not been reported to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (CBP) as there is no legal obligation to do so. However, we keep your data carefully separated from other clients, and we ensure that your data will not become public via us in any other way than in the context of our services to you or pursuant to the law.
2. For what purposes does Vastrecht use these data?
- Your data are first and foremost used for the services for which we have been engaged: for preparing your tax return and for advice on the questions you present us with. In addition, your data are used when preparing our invoices. As part of our role as your permanent adviser, we will sometimes proactively advise you. Your data may be used to determine the type of spontaneous advice that may be applicable to you. Vastrecht also uses your data for training and educating personnel. It may occur that when you contact Vastrecht, a colleague may listen in to be able to analyse the conversation with the involved employee at a later stage and to ensure that Vastrecht employees handle your questions as client-friendly and quickly as possible.
3. In what way are third-party data processed?
- If you provide us with data about third parties for the purpose of advising you, such data will not be incorporated in our client database, and will only be stored in your dossier at Vastrecht. Such data and the advice in which they have been used, will only be made available for inspection to you, and not to third parties. This also applies to family relations.
4. What security measures does Vastrecht take?
- Vastrecht uses sophisticated techniques to protect its files and computer systems and ensures that the security of the transport and storage of your data is provided with safeguards. All paper waste is shredded before leaving our premises. The Vastrecht website provides the opportunity to click through to other websites. Vastrecht is not responsible for the content of such websites. You will need to read carefully through the privacy terms/statements of such websites. The terms on such sites may be different from Vastrecht´s terms.
5. How do I correct my data?
- The easiest and quickest way to correct your data is by contacting our office by telephone. In some cases Vastrecht may ask you to send a letter to inform us of any updates or changes you wish us to make and to enclose a photocopy of a valid proof of identity.
6. Confidentiality
- Vastrecht keeps everything about you confidential. In exceptional cases a restriction on sharing information about clients also applies within our own office. Tax advisers have an informal right of non-disclosure in regards to their dossiers unless those dossiers contain details of tax returns. For that reason, our office keeps consultancy dossiers strictly separated from tax return dossiers.
7. The Wwft
- The Dutch Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft) obliges us, without being allowed to notify the client thereof, to report unusual transactions with the reporting centre of the government authorities. The latter may decide to investigate whether there is question of money laundering or financing of terrorist activities.
8. Other questions or comments
- We hope the above explanation has given you an idea of how Vastrecht implements and executes its privacy policy. As an innovative tax consultancy office, Vastrecht is not only on the vanguard of developing new services and products, but in your and our collective interest, we also keep up with developments in the field of protection of privacy. Following such new developments, the contents of this policy may be adjusted from time to time. Should you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact us!