Updated: Jan 21, 2023
Middlesex University Business School
Tax and Accounting Clinic (TAC)
Conflict of Interest Policy
In conducting an investigating, the investigator and those working with the investigator (students) must not be influenced by either close personal relationships with the client, be a major donor or have control or significant influence over a major funder to the charity.
The investigator must ensure that there are no matters and no potential matters that would reasonably give rise to a perception of their independence that would affect their ability to carry out the assignment in a wholly objective manner.
We ask anyone who is working in the TAC to complete the below declaration of interests form, so that we are aware of any potential conflicts of interests and can take action accordingly to ensure that our independence is not affected.
The below declaration of interest form must be completed when a person starts volunteering in the TAC and thereafter be updated should that person be aware of any change in circumstances that may affect their independence. Failure to disclose any potential conflicts of interest or to update any change of circumstances in conflicts of interest may lead to disciplinary action being taken.
Declaration of Interests Form
I …………………………………………. as accounting academic/accounting student(s)/trustee (delete as appropriate) of (name of organisation) have set out my interests in accordance with the Middlesex University Business Schools’ Tax and Accounting Clinic Conflict of Interest Policy.
Category
Details o
Category | Details of interest and whether it applies to yourself or where appropriate, a member of your immediate family, connected persons or some other close personal connection |
Current employment and any previous employment in which you continue to have a financial interest. | |
Membership of any professional bodies, special interest groups or mutual support organisations.
| |
Any contractual relationship between Middlesex University and the client.
| |
Any other conflicts that are not covered by the above.
| |
f interest and whether it applies to yourself or where appropriate, a member of your immediate family, connected persons or some other close personal connecti
Signed:
Position:
Date:
Updated: Jan 21, 2023
If you wish that the Tax and Accounting Clinic (TAC) work on your case, we will need to receive certain information from you. This privacy notice explains how we do that, why, and what your rights are to ensure our compliance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A&TC team member will explain the information set out below before work is commenced. Please feel free to ask TAC team member if you do not understand any part of the information, or to ask a friend or relative or other person known to you or otherwise (such as a translator) to assist you with the information.
Who are we?
The TAC is part of Middlesex University’s Business School. The TAC sits within the Business School, Accounting and Finance Department and the Programme Leader responsible for it is Shan Wang.
TAC will be led by our selected final year Accounting and Finance students. A member of the academic team that is/are a fully qualified accountant will supervise them.
What information do we ask for?
We will ask you for:
your name, address, and contact details.
any necessary information required to commence our advisory work.
any recordings of meetings and telephone that you agree to.
Why do we ask for that information and what is the legal basis for it?
We ask for this information in order to be able to decide whether we can offer you an appointment at the TAC and in order to establish whether we can advise your business.
We also need this information to ensure there is no conflict of interest between Middlesex University and your organisation.
Middlesex University as a higher education institution may also use information for teaching and educational purposes, however, it would usually be used in a way that would make it very difficult to identify you.
Middlesex University has a legitimate interest to use your information for these purposes and may do so under the provisions of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.
How do we get your information?
If you make an online enquiry via email, we will input your details on to a Contact Form/Initial Enquiry Form. All information will be held on the TAC SharePoint site. Only TAC academic staff will have access to this SharePoint site.
Alternatively, we may ask you for this information verbally if you approach us by telephone, by letter or in person to ask us to provide you with an independent examination.
How do we use information about you?
We will use your information solely for carrying out advisory and support service for you.
Once you have agreed to use our service either in writing online or in hard copy, we will share your information with our student advisors and academic staff member(s) who will be meeting with you at your appointment(s) at the TAC.
When you attend our clinic, we will make notes of any information given and retain any copy documents you provide us with, in order for us to commence work.
These notes and documents are created directly into our confidential SharePoint site and stored there.
If we speak to you by phone or via Microsoft Teams/Zoom, we will ask your permission to record the conversation for educational and training purposes. You are free to say no and it will not affect the service we give you in any way.
We do not share your information with any other third party.
Your data rights
You have the right to object to the use of your personal data for our legitimate interests.
Please note that in some cases this may affect our ability to offer the service to you.
You have the right to correct inaccurate information that we hold about you, and in certain cases, to have that personal information deleted by us.
You also have the right to access personal information we hold about you.
How do we keep your information?
All information about your organisation will be kept electronically in our confidential TAC SharePoint site system.
How long will we keep your information?
We will keep information about you only:
for as long as it is required to resolve your query.
in the event that a complaint is made
so as to ensure that information about you is accurate and up to date
for the purposes of research and statistical analysis
We usually hold your information for seven years in case you complain about our services.
Once we decide that it is no longer necessary to keep your information we will either delete it from our records or remove any reference to you.
Transfers of data outside the UK
Your data will not be sent outside the UK.
Automated Decision making
We will not make any decisions about you automatically using a computer, based on your personal data. All decisions affecting you will be taken by a human.
Further Information
If you wish to discuss any questions about this privacy notice, you are welcome to contact Shan Wang, Programme Leader Business Accounting (s.wang@mdx.ac.uk).
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) about our handling of your personal information, and the right to object to the processing of your personal information on certain grounds. For further details see the ICO website.