SECURITY
The security and privacy of your information is our top priority. GuarantyTax.com takes every precaution to protect the information of our users. When customers submit sensitive information via the web site, it is protected both on-line.

Your Information Is Encrypted Using SSL
GuarantyTax.com uses secure socket layer (SSL) encryption technology provided by GeoTrust to protect all sensitive information. SSL technology is the most commonly used method on the internet to safely transmit data. Established in 1995, GeoTrust is one of the most recognized certification authorities worldwide. GeoTrust's comprehensive authentication procedures ensure your information is kept private while in transit between your web browser and our web servers.

Access to your personal information is protected by a password, of your choosing, in order to maintain security for your account. Only you, or someone with whom you share your password, can access your account to make changes to your return or account information. Along with using SSL encryption to protect sensitive information on-line, we also protect user information off-line. The GuarantyTax.com servers are located in a secure data storage facility with strict security measures and procedures in place.

Third-Party Security Testing
As part of our continued emphasis on security, GuarantyTax.com undergoes third-party scanning and testing of our servers. The Security Metrics logo at the right demonstrates our commitment to keeping your information secure.

Our Commitment to Privacy
This tax service is provided to you through GuarantyTax.com. We are committed to keeping your information private and recognize the importance all customers place on the privacy and confidentiality of their information. While new technologies allow us to more efficiently serve our clients, we are committed to maintaining the rigorous privacy standards that are synonymous with the best practices in the industry.

In keeping with our privacy policy, we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our home page and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

Covered Web Sites
The privacy policy described herein is applicable to this entire web site, including all areas where financial information is gathered and income tax data is input, printed and/or transmitted. It does not apply to any other online services, or to any other web sites published and/or maintained by Guaranty Tax.

Please Note: Our service is applicable to filers of resident U.S. Federal income tax returns only, and the statements made in this privacy notice apply solely to residents of the United States.

Our Commitment to Data Security
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Internal Controls
When collecting, storing and retrieving your personal data, extensive internal controls are maintained throughout the process to ensure security and confidentiality.

Our Internet-based systems are protected behind firewalls, and all mission critical servers are deployed in a cluster environment to provide an even greater level of security and protection against system failure. All data is maintained and backed-up on a regular schedule to provide adequate redundancy and ensure that the integrity of information is never jeopardized.

Our employees are subject to strict guidelines regarding confidentiality, and internal access to customer data is restricted to highly trained personnel on an 'as-needed' basis. Information you provide to us is used strictly for lawful purposes and is never shared with Federal, State or other taxing authorities without your consent, except as required by law.

Transmitting Information
When transmitting information between you and our server, as well as when communicating with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for electronic filing, data security is handled through a protocol called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL is an established and mature Internet security standard with two dominant features: web server authentication and data encryption.

Data Encryption
Data encryption is the process of transforming legible information into a complex arrangement of illegible information. SSL uses a private/public key combination to encrypt data when it is sent and to decrypt data when it is received. SSL encrypts data using a mathematical formula, also referred to as a "key."

Encryption strength is measured by the length of the key used to encrypt the data; the longer the key, the more effective the encryption. Using the SSL protocol, data transmission between you and our web server is performed at a standard level of encryption strength.

Web Server Authentication
An SSL certificate is issued to ensure authentic and accurate identification of a secured web server. This translates into a digital ID, an electronic fingerprint, which is included in the key used to encrypt the data. Only our web server, in this case, is able to decrypt the data that you transmit because it is the intended (and digitally certified) secured web server for this data transmission.

The Information We Collect
This notice applies to all information collected or submitted on our web site. In addition to tax return information, we collect the following credit card and personal information:

• Cardholder's Name
• Credit Card Type
• Credit Card Number
• Expiration Date
• Cardholder's Billing Address
• Daytime Phone Number
• E-mail Address
• Employer's or Relative's Phone Number

The Way We Use Information
As previously stated, the tax return information that we collect is used strictly for lawful purposes and is never shared with Federal, State or other taxing authorities without your consent, except as required by law. If you choose to electronically file your return, we will transmit your tax return to the appropriate Federal and State taxing authorities.

The IRS requires us to provide the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer from which the return originated, as well as the e-mail address of the person who electronically filed the return.

The above listed credit card information that we collect will be used strictly for order processing and billing purposes, and will not be shared with any other party. When appropriate, bank account or credit card information is also passed to our bank, for processing purposes, if you choose to use our Rapid Anticipation Loan (RAL) or Credit Card Payment of Balance Due options. You will enter this information during the routine course of a purchase. In the event that our Internet Service staff should need to research and resolve any status or billing issues associated with an order, the information will only be accessed by authorized personnel.

Our Basic Service entitles you to notification via e-mail of filing deadlines, estimate reminders, tax law changes, as well as tax planning and financial information that may affect your tax return. In order for us to provide you with the Basic Service, it is required that you provide us with your e-mail address and consent to our limited review of your tax return information with our proprietary software program to determine whether your tax return information would trigger such notifications.

In addition to our Basic Service, we may send to you, via your e-mail address, information and promotional messages about other products and services that we think may be of interest to you.

We do not sell any nonpublic personal information to third parties.

Retrieving Your Information
Our Internet tax service is available from approximately mid-January through mid-October of each tax year. You may use your User ID and Password to access and modify your return information as often as needed during that time period. To view your return information, you may access a free summary report and/or pay a fee to print, view, and electronically file your actual return. Once you have paid, you may access your tax return as often as you like.

After paying for your return, the financial information used to make your payment (e.g. credit card number), as well as the record of your payment, will not be retrievable by you.

How to Contact Us
Should you have other questions or concerns about this privacy policy, please submit your questions using our Contact Us link or by writing to Attn: Guaranty Tax, LLC, 9550 Forest Lane, #207, Dallas, TX 75243.