HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Privacy Policy is designed to tell you about their practices regarding the collection, use and disclosure of information that you may provide via the (HMRC) website. Whenever you use this site, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Some areas of the site require you to actively submit information in order for you to benefit from specific features (such as our range of online services). You will be informed at each information collection point what information is required and what information is optional.
Some of this information may be personal (information that can be uniquely identified with you, such as your full name, address, email address, phone number etc).
HMRC only collect such information when you choose to supply it to them.
Information is also gathered without you actively providing it, through the use of various technologies and methods such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and cookies. These methods do not collect or store personal information.
An IP address is a number assigned to your computer by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), so you can access the internet. It is generally considered to be non-personally identifiable information, because in most cases an IP address is dynamic (changing each time you connect to the internet), rather than static (unique to a particular user's computer).
HMRC use your IP address to diagnose problems with their server, report aggregate information, and determine the fastest route for your computer to use in connecting to thier site, and to administer and improve the site.
HMRC uses small bits of data stored on your computer called 'cookies'. Find out what HMRC uses them for, and how to control their use.
Your privacy - how cookies are used by HMRC
HMRC use JavaScript page tags to aggregate and analyse customer usage patterns on their website. This provides us with data on your site usage and behaviour. They use this information to make changes to the layout of the website and to the information in it. This process does not collect any personal or identifiable information about users. You can disable JavaScript on your computer however, disabling JavaScript may affect your ability to access some of HMRC online tools and services.
Sometimes HMRC tag pages on sites they use to promote various campaigns. These tags are provided by their advertising management partner, DoubleClick. These tags enable DoubleClick to recognise a unique cookie on your browser, which in turn enables HMRC to learn which advertisements bring users to their web site. The cookie was placed by HMRC, or by another advertiser who works with DoubleClick. With this technology, the information that we collect and share is anonymous and not personally identifiable. It does not contain your name, address, telephone number, or email address. There is more information about DoubleClick - including information about how to opt out of these technologies - on their website.
HMRC may monitor email communications with HMRC (this includes any HMRC member of staff). Any such monitoring will take place in accordance with the law.
HMRC use log files generated by their web servers to analyse site usage and statistics but the files do not identify any personal information. Log file analysis helps HMRC to understand usage patterns on their website and to make improvements to their service.
Except as otherwise stated, HMRC may use information you provide via this site to improve the content, to customise the site to your preferences, to communicate information to you (if you have requested it), for internal marketing and research purposes, and for the purposes specified in this Privacy policy.
HMRC do not disclose any information you provide via the site to any third parties or other government departments except where:
HMRC will take all reasonable steps in accordance with their legal obligations to update or correct personally identifiable information in our possession that you submit via this site.
You have a right to ask to see details of any personal information that HMRC hold about you. If you wish to do so please contact:
Data Protection Officer
Room BP4302
Benton Park View
Longbenton
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE98 1ZZ
HMRC has a legal duty to protect the confidentiality of taxpayer information. They take all reasonable steps to protect any information you submit via their website, both online and offline, in accordance with legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1998.
HMRC take all appropriate steps to protect your personally identifiable information as you transmit your information from your computer to the HMRC site and to protect such information for loss, misuse, and unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. HMRC use leading technologies and encryption software to safeguard your data, and operate strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it.
Where you use passwords, ID numbers, or other special access features on this site, you also have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to safeguard them.
This site contains links and references to other websites. Please be aware that this Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites and we encourage you to read the Privacy Policy of every website you visit.
HMRC will post details of any changes to their Privacy Policy on the website to help ensure you are always aware of the information they collect, how they use it, and in what circumstances, if any, they share it with other parties.
This Privacy Policy was last updated July 2008.
