Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Civic Stone Platform ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our tax preparation management platform.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect information that you provide directly, including:

• Name and contact information
• Identification numbers (SSN, ITIN)
• Financial information (income, deductions, credits)
• Family and dependent information
• Account credentials (encrypted)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide tax preparation and filing services
• Communicate with you about your tax returns
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• Improve our services and user experience
• Detect and prevent fraud

4. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption at rest and in transit (TLS 1.3)
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Regular security audits
• Secure authentication via Clerk
• Blockchain integrity verification (hash-only, no PII on chain)

5. Blockchain Integrity

Civic Stone Platform uses blockchain technology for document integrity verification only.No Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is stored on the blockchain.

Only SHA-256 cryptographic hashes are written to the blockchain to provide tamper-evidence for document integrity. All PII remains in our encrypted databases and secure object storage.

6. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only when:

• Required by law or court order
• Necessary to provide our services (e.g., tax authorities)
• With your explicit consent
• With trusted service providers under strict confidentiality agreements

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal information
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your information (where legally permissible)
• Opt-out of certain communications
• Request a copy of your data

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Tax records are retained for the period required by IRS regulations (typically 3-7 years).

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on our platform and updating the "Last Updated" date.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at: