Harbor Tax Solutions takes the privacy of partner offices and the taxpayers they serve seriously. Below is a plain-language summary of what we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the controls available to you.
This page is a plain-language summary of Harbor's privacy practices. Tax-services privacy is governed by federal law (the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, IRS Section 7216), state law (California CCPA/CPRA, Virginia VCDPA, and others as applicable), and Harbor's relationships with software and refund-settlement partners. The full binding privacy notice and disclosure consent forms are provided at sign-up. If anything here conflicts with those documents, those documents control.
This privacy policy applies to two groups:
Different rules apply depending on which group you're in. End-client tax return information is governed by additional legal protections — see Section 5 below.
When a partner office prepares tax returns or processes refund settlement products using Harbor-integrated systems, end-client information passes through those systems. This may include name, address, Social Security number, income information, tax return data, and refund routing information. Harbor does not directly collect this information from end clients — it flows through the underlying software and refund settlement partners (Refundo, SBTPG) under their privacy frameworks.
Harbor uses information to:
Harbor does not sell partner office or end-client information. Harbor does not use end-client tax return information for marketing.
Harbor shares information only with parties that need it to deliver the services partner offices have subscribed to, or as required by law. Specifically:
Harbor may disclose information when required by law, court order, subpoena, or to protect the legal rights, safety, and property of Harbor, partner offices, taxpayers, or the public.
If Harbor undergoes a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable notice and consent obligations.
Under IRS Section 7216, tax return preparers may not disclose or use tax return information without a taxpayer's written consent, except in specifically permitted circumstances. Harbor and its partner offices comply with Section 7216.
When a partner office uses Harbor-integrated systems to prepare a return or process refund settlement products, the partner office is the tax return preparer with the direct legal relationship to the taxpayer. The partner office is responsible for obtaining any required Section 7216 consents from end clients before any disclosure or use of tax return information beyond what is needed to prepare the return.
Harbor's role is to provide the software access, support, and refund settlement integration that the partner office uses to serve its clients. Harbor does not use tax return information for marketing or for any purpose outside of supporting the contracted services.
Harbor maintains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. These safeguards are aligned with industry standards for tax-services businesses and with the Federal Trade Commission's Safeguards Rule under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
Safeguards include:
No system is completely immune to risk. If Harbor becomes aware of a security incident that affects partner office or end-client information, Harbor will notify affected parties as required by law.
Harbor retains information for as long as needed to provide services, meet legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Retention periods vary by data type. Tax-related records are retained in accordance with IRS retention requirements (generally a minimum of three years, longer in specific circumstances). Account and subscription records are retained for the duration of the partner office's relationship with Harbor and for a reasonable period after, consistent with legal obligations.
Partner offices and (where applicable) end clients have rights regarding information that Harbor holds, including:
To exercise any of these rights, contact the Customer Experience team at (888) 343-8023 or through your account contact channel. Some rights are subject to verification and may not apply to all information types (for example, information Harbor is required by law to retain).
Harbor's website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, remember preferences, analyze how the site is used, and (where applicable) measure marketing effectiveness. Most browsers let you control cookies through browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect site functionality.
Harbor does not use third-party tracking that combines website behavior with end-client tax return information.
Harbor's services are intended for tax professionals running independent offices, not for children. Harbor does not knowingly collect information from anyone under the age of 13. End-client tax returns may include information about dependents (including minors) as part of the tax preparation process; that information is handled under the same legal protections as the rest of the return.
Residents of certain U.S. states have additional privacy rights under state law. These typically include the right to know what information is collected, the right to access and correct that information, the right to deletion, and the right to opt out of certain types of data sharing. State-specific rights apply only to residents of those states and are subject to verification.
To exercise a state privacy right, contact Harbor's Customer Experience team. Where required, Harbor will provide additional disclosures specific to your state.
Harbor reviews this privacy policy regularly and may update it to reflect changes in services, partnerships, or applicable law. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be communicated to partner offices in writing before they take effect.
Questions about this privacy policy, or a request to exercise a privacy right?
This page is a plain-language summary. Full binding privacy disclosures and any required Section 7216 consent language are provided at sign-up and through the underlying software and refund-settlement partners. Tax preparers should ensure their own client-facing Section 7216 disclosures are in place independently of this page.