Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy

Last updated: 16 February 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Moorhen Accountancy (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data when you use our website, contact us, or become a client.

It also includes our Cookie Policy, which explains how cookies and similar technologies are used on our website.

We handle personal data in line with the UK GDPR, EU GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) where applicable.

1. Who we are

Data Controller: Moorhen Accountancy (trading name of M.A Services (Stoke) Limited)

Company number: 16342228

Registered office: Suite S008, The Genesis Centre, Innovation Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4BF

Email: info@moorhenaccountancy.com

Telephone: 01782 939302

WhatsApp: 01782 939302

2. Scope

This policy covers personal data we collect through:

  • Our website
  • Email, phone, WhatsApp, and other communications
  • Consultations and onboarding
  • Ongoing client work and professional services
  • Marketing (where you have opted in or where permitted)

3. What personal data we collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

  • Identity and contact data: name, job title, business name, postal address, email address, telephone number, and other contact details.
  • Client and service data: information you provide relating to your tax affairs, accounts, payroll, VAT, CIS, business structure, residency status, property, and financial circumstances.
  • Financial and transaction data: payment records, invoices, and billing information.
  • Technical and usage data: IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and how you use our website (this may be collected via cookies and similar technologies).
  • Special category data: in limited situations we may handle special category data where necessary for services and lawful to do so.

4. How we collect your data

We collect personal data when:

  • You contact us by email, phone, WhatsApp, or via website enquiries
  • You book a consultation
  • You become a client and provide documents or information
  • You use our website (via cookies and analytics)
  • We receive information from third parties where appropriate (for example, previous accountants, HMRC, Companies House, pension providers, software providers), with your permission and where lawful

5. Our lawful bases for processing

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

  • Contract: to provide services, or take steps at your request before entering a contract
  • Legal obligation: to comply with legal and regulatory duties
  • Legitimate interests: to run our business, maintain service quality, prevent fraud, and improve our website (balanced against your rights)
  • Consent: where you have explicitly opted in (for example, certain marketing communications or non essential cookies)

Where we process special category data, we will also ensure an appropriate additional condition applies under data protection law.

6. How we use your personal data

We use personal data to:

  • Respond to enquiries and arrange consultations
  • Provide accountancy, taxation, payroll, VAT, CIS, company secretarial, and related services
  • Manage billing, payments, and records
  • Communicate with you about your account and services
  • Improve our website and understand how it is used
  • Send marketing communications where permitted and in line with your preferences
  • Meet professional, legal, and regulatory obligations

7. Marketing communications

We may send marketing communications where you have opted in, or where permitted by law (for example, the soft opt in for business customers where relevant).

You can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails (where included) or by emailing info@moorhenaccountancy.com.

We do not sell personal data to third parties.

8. Who we share your data with

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary, including:

  • Professional advisers and contractors working under appropriate confidentiality
  • IT and cloud service providers (email, hosting, storage, security)
  • Accounting, payroll, and practice management software providers
  • Payment providers (for billing and payments)
  • Regulatory bodies and authorities where required (for example, HMRC and Companies House)
  • Other organisations at your request or with your authorisation (for example, lenders or brokers)

Where third parties process data on our behalf, they act as processors and must keep your data secure and use it only in line with our instructions and the law.

9. International transfers

Some service providers may store or process data outside the UK or the European Economic Area. Where this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy decisions or standard contractual clauses.

10. Data retention

We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to provide services and meet legal, tax, and regulatory requirements.

Retention periods vary depending on the service and your circumstances. You can request more detail by contacting us.

11. Your data protection rights

You may have rights including:

  • Access to your personal data
  • Rectification of inaccurate data
  • Erasure in certain situations
  • Restriction of processing
  • Objection to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
  • Data portability in certain circumstances
  • Withdrawal of consent (where processing is based on consent)

To exercise your rights, contact info@moorhenaccountancy.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

12. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk/

If you are in the EU, you can complain to your local supervisory authority in your country of residence or where the issue occurred.

13. Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. While no system is completely secure, we aim to use proportionate safeguards and continuously improve.

14. Links to other websites

Our website may include links to third party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

15. Children’s data

Our services and website are not intended for children, and we do not knowingly collect data from children.

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website, and the “Last updated” date will be amended.

Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, and how you can manage your preferences. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site function, improve performance, and provide insights into how the site is used.

1. How we use cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Strictly necessary cookies: required for the website to function properly (for example, security, page navigation, and accessibility).
  • Functional cookies: remember preferences and settings (for example, language or display preferences).
  • Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it (for example, Google Analytics).
  • Marketing cookies: help us measure the effectiveness of advertising and deliver more relevant ads (for example, Meta tracking).

2. Consent and cookie preferences

We will ask for your consent before placing non essential cookies on your device, such as analytics and marketing cookies, unless an exemption applies. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time using our cookie preference tool.

3. Google Analytics cookies

We may use Google Analytics to measure website usage. Google Analytics can set cookies to help us understand things such as which pages are visited, how long visitors stay, and how they arrived at our site.

Common Google Analytics cookies include:

  • _ga and _ga_* used to distinguish users and store session or campaign related information
  • _gid used to distinguish users over a short period
  • _gat or similar cookies used to manage request rates

Where required, we only run Google Analytics after you have consented. You can also opt out using browser settings or Google’s tools, depending on your device and browser.

4. Meta tracking cookies

We may use Meta tracking technologies (for example, the Meta Pixel) to measure the effectiveness of advertising and understand interactions with our website after you have viewed or clicked an ad.

Common Meta cookies can include:

  • _fbp used to store and track visits across websites
  • fr used to deliver, measure, and improve the relevance of ads (where applicable)

Where required, we only enable Meta tracking after you have consented.

5. WordPress cookies

Our website may use WordPress cookies to enable core functionality. These can include cookies that support login sessions, site preferences, and commenting features (if enabled).

Examples of WordPress related cookies may include:

  • wordpress_logged_in_* used to indicate when you are logged in (administrators and authorised users only)
  • wp-settings-* and wp-settings-time-* used to store user preferences (administrators and authorised users only)
  • wordpress_test_cookie used to check whether cookies are enabled
  • comment_author_* used to remember commenter details if comments are enabled

6. Security and performance cookies

We may use cookies and similar technologies that help protect the website and its users from malicious activity and abuse. These may be set by our security tools, firewall, hosting provider, or content delivery network.

Examples of security or performance cookies may include:

  • wfwaf-authcookie_* or similar cookies used by firewall and security tools (if installed)
  • __cf_bm or cf_clearance used by security and bot protection services (if enabled)
  • Session cookies used to maintain secure browsing and protect forms from abuse

These cookies are typically strictly necessary for security and site integrity. Where a security tool uses non essential cookies, we will reflect this in our cookie preferences.

7. How to manage or disable cookies

You can manage cookies through our cookie preference tool, and you can also control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling strictly necessary cookies may affect how the website functions.

Instructions vary by browser, but you can usually find cookie controls in your browser’s Privacy or Security settings.

8. Contact us

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy or how we use cookies, contact us at info@moorhenaccountancy.com.