The short version.
Big Time Design and Communication Inc. ("Big Time", "we", "us") makes Lou. This policy explains what happens to information when you use Lou at lou.bigtimedesign.ca.
When you add documents or type information into Lou, it is read and processed by code running in your own browser. This includes reading PDFs and photos (including text recognition), converting currencies, calculating your return, and filling forms. None of this is sent to us or to anyone else. Lou does not use cloud text recognition, an AI service or any other outside service to process your information. The app is built to refuse connections to other websites, and you can confirm this in your browser's developer tools.
This includes sensitive details such as names, Social Insurance Numbers, Social Security Numbers, addresses, income, account numbers and balances, and images of your documents. We never receive them. Because we do not hold your information, we cannot look it up, correct it, export it or delete it for you. You can do all of that yourself, as described below.
You can remove everything at any time using "Clear my data from this device" in Lou, or by clearing site data for this website in your browser. Anyone who can use your device and browser profile can see what Lou has saved, so use a device you trust and, on a shared computer, clear your data when you finish.
Lou does not set cookies and does not use analytics, advertising, social media widgets, fingerprinting or any third-party scripts. We do not sell or share personal information, because we do not collect it.
Lou links to outside sites such as the IRS, the CRA, FinCEN and GitHub. If you follow a link, that site's own privacy policy applies. Lou does not send them anything from your return.
Lou is for adults filing their own tax returns. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
Privacy laws such as Canada's PIPEDA, the EU and UK GDPR, and California's CCPA give people rights to access, correct and delete their personal information. Since we do not collect your tax information, we hold nothing about you to access, correct or delete, other than the server logs and emails described above. To ask about those, write to us. If you are in Canada and unhappy with how we handle personal information, you can also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Keeping your information on your device means there is no central store of tax data to be breached. The app is delivered over HTTPS and restricts itself to its own files. The security of your device, browser and backup files is up to you. Use a screen lock, keep your browser up to date, and protect backup files with a password. To report a security problem with Lou, see our security contact.
If this policy changes, we will update the date at the top. If a change affects what happens to your information, we will say so in the app. Lou will not start sending your tax information anywhere without a clear notice and your choice.
Big Time Design and Communication Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. info@bigtimedesign.ca