How I handle your information, and where AI fits in
I use software, including artificial intelligence (AI), to spend less time on mechanical work and more time on judgment. You should know how that works before you hire me, not after. This page explains it in plain language.
This page is for transparency only. It isn't a contract and it isn't a consent. Your engagement letter and any consent form you choose to sign in our client portal are what govern.
Privacy and de-identification
Your information is confidential under Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) rules and federal law. Here's how I keep it that way.
Where your documents live
- You upload documents through the secure client portal (Karbon), not by email or text.
- Client files are kept on encrypted, firm-controlled devices and accounts, with multi-factor sign-in where the system supports it.
- Only people at the firm who need your information for your work can see it.
De-identification before any AI tool
Before any of your information reaches a general-purpose AI service, it goes through a de-identification process that runs on a computer in my office, not in the cloud:
- Detection software looks for Social Security numbers, employer identification numbers, account and routing numbers, and similar identifiers.
- A language model running on that same office computer looks for what the first pass misses, such as names, relationships and identifying details written in notes.
- Each identifier found is replaced with a random code. The key that links codes back to real details stays on the office computer and is never sent anywhere.
- The output is checked. If the check fails, the work stops. Nothing goes out on a failed check.
What the AI service sees is numbers and patterns, like "Client A, wages $X, rental property 1," rather than who you are. Removing identifiers protects you, but it doesn't change what the law requires. That's why I still ask for consent, explained next.
AI use and your consent
As your engagement letter explains, I use technology tools, including AI-enabled features, and I review their output before relying on it. I don't hand your work to AI and send you whatever comes back.
What I use AI for
- Organizing and checking documents and reconciliations
- Running planning scenarios and checking calculations
- Drafting memos, summaries and emails that I then review and edit
Which AI service
I use Claude, made by Anthropic, PBC, a United States company, through a business account under Anthropic's commercial terms.
When I ask for consent
- Tax return work. Federal law (Internal Revenue Code section 7216) generally requires your written consent before a tax preparer discloses your tax return information to a third party, including an AI provider. Even de-identified information can count. If your engagement includes a tax return, I'll send a separate consent form through the client portal.
- Other work, such as bookkeeping, controller or CFO services. Texas rules require me to keep client information confidential, so I ask your permission here too.
Your choice
- Signing the consent is optional. You don't have to sign it to hire me for tax return preparation.
- If you don't sign, I don't use general-purpose AI tools with your information.
- You can ask me to limit what's shared, or withdraw your consent in writing at any time.
- A consent lasts for the period it states. If no period is stated, it lasts one year from the date you sign.
If you ever believe your tax return information has been disclosed or used improperly, you may contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or complaints@tigta.treas.gov.
Questions
Ask me anything about this before you sign: text or call 713-714-7153. You can also read the full Privacy Policy.