Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Covai GST Consultants, a unit of Covai Accounting Services ("we," "our," or "us"), is committed to safeguarding the privacy of every individual who visits our website covaigstconsultants.in or engages our professional services. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices available to you regarding your information.

By accessing our website or using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please refrain from using our website or services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

• Full name, email address, phone number, and business name when you fill out a contact form or enquiry form.
• GSTIN, PAN, Aadhaar number, or other tax-related identifiers when you engage our GST registration, filing, or compliance services.
• Financial records, invoices, and business data shared for the purpose of return filing, income tax computation, or audit support.
• Any additional documents or information you voluntarily provide in the course of our professional engagement.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device and browser type, operating system, and screen resolution.
• IP address, referring URL, pages visited, and time spent on each page.
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 7 below).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide, manage, and improve our GST consultancy, tax filing, company registration, and related professional services.
• To respond to your enquiries, schedule consultations, and communicate important updates about your engagements.
• To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal obligations, including filings with the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) and the Income Tax Department.
• To send periodic service-related communications, such as filing reminders, compliance deadlines, and regulatory updates, where you have opted in to receive such communications.
• To analyse website usage patterns and improve the functionality and user experience of our website.
• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, security issues, or technical problems.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal grounds:

• Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to perform our services as agreed with you.
• Legal obligation: Processing is required to comply with tax laws, the Companies Act, and other applicable Indian legislation.
• Legitimate interest: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services and securing our systems, provided such interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent for specific processing activities, such as receiving marketing communications.

5. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your data only in the following circumstances:

• Government authorities: With the GSTN, Income Tax Department, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, or other regulatory bodies as required for statutory filings and compliance on your behalf.
• Service providers: With trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, provided they agree to keep your information confidential.
• Legal requirements: When disclosure is required by law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), secure storage, access controls, and regular security assessments. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and understand user behaviour. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. You may control or disable cookies through your browser settings; however, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain parts of our website.

We may use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Required for core website functionality.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website.
• Functional cookies: Remember your preferences and settings.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Tax-related records are retained for the period mandated by applicable Indian tax laws (generally seven to eight years from the end of the relevant assessment year). Once the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymise your data.

9. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The right to access, correct, or update your personal information.
• The right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• The right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• The right to object to or restrict certain types of processing.
• The right to data portability where technically feasible.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 12 below.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party website you visit.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website or services after any modifications constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: