Privacy Policy

Privacy Notice – Lighthouse Bookkeeping

Last updated: 10 Sep 2026

1. Who we are

Lighthouse Bookkeeping is a small bookkeeping practice operated by Lighthouse Business Consulting Ltd, registered in Ireland under company number 818681, with its registered office at Portnaquin, Killashandra, Co Cavan. The company is the data controller for personal information collected through this website. Privacy enquiries can be sent through the 'Contact us' menu on this website.

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Lighthouse Business Consulting Ltd is the data controller for personal data collected through this website and in connection with our services.

When we process personal data on behalf of a bookkeeping or payroll client—for example, information concerning that client’s employees, customers or suppliers—we may instead act as a data processor. The relevant client remains responsible for determining how and why that information is processed.

2. Personal data we may collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us and which services you request. It may include:

• Your name, business name and job title
• Your postal address, email address and telephone number
• Information      submitted through our contact forms or order forms
• Details      about your business, bookkeeping, accounting or payroll requirements
• Communications      between you and Lighthouse Bookkeeping
• Client,      supplier, employee and payroll information provided for the delivery of      our services
• Tax,      company registration and financial information
• Bank      or payment information where needed for payments or bookkeeping
• Identity,      ownership or verification documents where required by law
• Records      of services provided, invoices, payments and account balances
• Technical      information, such as your IP address, browser type, device information and      website activity
• Cookie      preferences and information collected through permitted website cookies
• Any      other information you choose to provide to us

3. Information relating to other people

If you give us personal data relating to another person—such as an employee, customer, supplier, director or beneficial owner—you must have the authority and a valid legal basis to provide that information.

Where appropriate, you should also make that person aware that their information may be provided to Lighthouse Bookkeeping and direct them to this Privacy Notice.

4. How we collect personal data

We may collect information:

• When      you visit or use this website
• When      you complete a contact form, order form or enquiry form
• When      you contact us by email, telephone or another communication method
• When      you request a quotation or enter into an engagement with us
• During      the delivery of bookkeeping, payroll, accounting or related services
• From      documents and records supplied by you or your authorised representatives
• From      your employees, directors, advisers or service providers where appropriate
• From      public sources, such as the Companies Registration Office
• From      government authorities or professional advisers where legally permitted
• Through      essential cookies and, with your permission where required, analytics or      other non-essential cookies

5. How we use personal data

We may use personal data to:

• Respond      to enquiries and requests for information
• Prepare      quotations or discuss potential services
• Verify      a prospective or existing client’s identity
• Complete      legally required client checks
• Enter      into and administer our engagement with you
• Provide      bookkeeping, payroll, accounting and related support services
• Communicate      with clients and manage client relationships
• Process      invoices, payments and outstanding accounts
• Maintain      accurate business, accounting and tax records
• Protect      the security and proper operation of our website and systems
• Prevent      and investigate fraud, misuse or unlawful activity
• Establish,      exercise or defend legal claims
• Comply      with tax, company, employment, anti-money-laundering and other legal      obligations
• Improve      our website and services using permitted and appropriately configured      analytics
• Send      marketing communications where we have a valid legal basis to do so
• Deal      with complaints and service-quality matters

We do not sell or rent personal data.

6. Our legal bases for processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid legal basis. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

Taking steps before entering into a contract

We may process your information to answer an enquiry, assess your requirements, prepare a quotation or take other steps you request before entering into an engagement.

Performance of a contract

We may process personal data where it is necessary to provide agreed services, manage our engagement, communicate with you or collect payment.

Compliance with a legal obligation

We may process and retain information where required by Irish or European Union law. This may include accounting, taxation, company, employment, payroll and anti-money-laundering obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. These interests may include:

• Operating      and administering our business
• Responding      to business communications
• Keeping      appropriate records
• Protecting      our website, systems and business
• Preventing      fraud and misuse
• Recovering      unpaid fees
• Handling      complaints
• Establishing      or defending legal claims
• Improving      our services

Consent

Where legally required, we may ask for your consent—for example, before placing non-essential cookies or sending certain marketing communications.

You may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.

7. Whether you must provide information

Certain information is required before we can provide services or comply with our legal obligations.

If you do not provide information that is reasonably required, we may be unable to:

• Respond      fully to your request
• Provide      a quotation
• Accept      you as a client
• Complete      legally required checks
• Enter      into or continue an engagement
• Provide      some or all requested services

We will tell you when information is mandatory and, where appropriate, explain the consequences of not providing it.

8. Sharing personal data

We may share personal data where reasonably necessary for the operation of our business or the delivery of our services, including with:

• Website hosting, email, cloud-storage and IT service providers
• Secure document-transfer and client-management providers
• Payment processors and financial institutions
• Software providers used for bookkeeping, payroll or accounting
• Professional advisers, including accountants, auditors, solicitors and insurers
• Bookkeepers, accountants, payroll specialists, tax advisers, other bookkeeping or accounting service providers, professional service providers, contractors and subcontractors who assist us in delivering some or all of the services requested by a client
• Revenue, the Companies Registration Office, law-enforcement bodies, courts, regulators or other public authorities where required or permitted by law
• A purchaser, successor or adviser in connection with a proposed sale, restructuring or transfer of the business

Where we engage a contractor, subcontractor or other professional service provider to assist with the delivery of our services, we will share only the personal data and documents reasonably necessary for them to perform the relevant work. The engagement of such a service provider does not necessarily change the identity of the business with which the client has contracted or transfer the client relationship to that service provider.

Depending on the circumstances and the nature of the processing, recipients of personal data may act as independent data controllers, joint controllers or processors acting on our instructions.

Where another party processes personal data on our behalf, we require appropriate contractual, confidentiality, data-protection and security protections as required by applicable law.

We do not disclose client information publicly and do not publish client names, testimonials, reviews or case studies without separate, explicit permission.

9. International data transfers

Some of our service providers may store or process information outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”).

Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we will use an appropriate transfer mechanism where required. This may include:

• A      European Commission adequacy decision
• European      Commission Standard Contractual Clauses
• Another      legally recognised safeguard

10. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to comply with applicable legal, tax, accounting, regulatory and professional obligations.

The retention period will depend on factors including:

• Whether      you become a client
• The      type of service provided
• The      nature and sensitivity of the information
• Relevant      legal and regulatory requirements
• The      need to resolve a complaint or dispute
• The      possibility of establishing or defending a legal claim

Unsuccessful or preliminary enquiries will normally be deleted or anonymised when they are no longer reasonably needed, subject to any necessary record of the enquiry.

Client, contractual, accounting and compliance records may be retained for longer periods where required by law or reasonably necessary for the protection of legal rights.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised.

11. Data security

We use reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against:

• Unauthorised access or disclosure
• Accidental loss or destruction
• Unlawful processing
• Improper alteration or misuse

These measures may include access controls, passwords, secure software, appropriate backups, confidentiality requirements and secure methods of sharing documents.

No internet-based system is completely secure. You should therefore avoid sending particularly sensitive information through ordinary email or website contact forms unless we have agreed that method with you.

If we become aware of a personal-data breach, we will assess it and notify the Data Protection Commission and affected individuals where legally required.

12. Cookies and website information

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies.

Essential cookies may be used where necessary for the website to function, maintain security, remember privacy settings or provide a service you request.

With your consent, where required, we may also use non-essential cookies or analytics tools to understand how visitors use the website and improve its performance.

Cookies and similar technologies may process information such as:

• IP address
• Browser and device information
• Pages visited
• Approximate      location
• Referring      website
• Visit      times and duration
• Cookie      preferences

Non-essential cookies will not be placed before the required consent has been obtained. 

13. Marketing communications

We will send electronic marketing communications only where we have a valid legal basis.

Where consent is required, you can withdraw it at any time by:

• Using the unsubscribe option included in the communication; or
• Contacting us through this website

Service-related communications, such as information needed to administer an engagement, are not marketing communications.

14. Your data-protection rights

Subject to the conditions and exceptions provided by law, you may have the right to:

• Ask      whether we process your personal data
• Request      access to your personal data
• Request      correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request      deletion of your personal data
• Request      restriction of processing
• Object      to certain processing, including direct marketing
• Receive      certain information in a portable format
• Withdraw      consent where processing is based on consent
• Lodge      a complaint with the Data Protection Commission

You will not normally be charged for exercising these rights. However, the law may permit a reasonable fee or refusal where a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will respond within the period required by applicable data-protection law.

15. Complaints

Please contact us first if you have concerns about how we use your personal data so that we can try to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to complain to the Irish Data Protection Commission:

Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South
Dublin 2
D02 RD28
Ireland

Website: www.dataprotection.ie

16. Automated decision-making

We do not currently use personal data collected through this website to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

If this changes, we will update this Privacy Notice and provide the information required by law.

17. External websites

This website may contain links to external websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties. You should read the privacy notice of any external service before providing it with personal information.

18. Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice to reflect changes to our services, systems, service providers or legal obligations.

The latest version will be published on this page, together with its effective date. Material changes may also be communicated through another appropriate method.

19. Contact us

For questions, requests or complaints concerning personal data, please contact us through this website.