What We Do NOT Store (Your Tax Data)

The core function of TaxZen — uploading Form 16, computing tax, comparing regimes, and generating your filing reference — involves zero server-side storage of your financial data.

• Your Form 16, Form 26AS, and Pre-filled JSON are parsed in your browser and never uploaded to our servers
• Your PAN, salary, TDS, deductions, and capital gains data exist only in your browser
• The ITR reference card and JSON are generated locally — they never touch our servers
• Your progress is saved in your browser's local storage so you can resume if you close the tab. Click "Start Fresh" to erase it instantly, or clear your browser data.

Think of it like a calculator app on your phone — it remembers your last calculation locally, but nothing is sent anywhere. Only you (and your browser) have access to it.

What We Store Only With Your Permission

If you check the "Remind me next filing season" checkbox, we save the following so we can send you a relevant WhatsApp reminder next year:

The filing preferences and demographic info (e.g., "income bracket: 15-25L", "regime: new") help us send relevant reminders and tips — not your actual salary figures. This data is stored only because you asked us to remind you. You can opt out anytime by contacting us — we'll delete your record immediately.

Anonymous Analytics (No Personal Info)

To understand how people use TaxZen (which steps take longest, where users drop off, which devices are most common), we collect anonymous usage data:

• Which pages you visited and how long you spent
• Which step in the wizard you reached (upload, review, download)
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• How you found us (referral source)

This uses a random ID stored in your browser's localStorage (not a cookie). It contains no name, email, PAN, or anything that could identify you. We cannot link analytics data to any real person. We do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any third-party tracker.

AI Tax Advisor

TaxZen includes an AI-powered chatbot that answers your tax questions using your data (income, deductions, regime). Here's how it works from a privacy perspective:

• The AI runs entirely in your browser — your questions and financial data are not sent to any external AI service
• We never use your actual financial numbers, PAN, or personal details to train any model

Optional: Improve Document Parsing

If you consent (via a checkbox during upload), we collect the layout structure of your document — with all personal data (PAN, names, amounts) stripped out — to improve our parsing accuracy for future users. This contains only the document's format (e.g., "line 12 is a salary heading"), never actual values.

The AI knows your tax situation only while you're using it — like a CA who forgets you the moment you leave their office.

No Data Shared with Third Parties

We do not share, sell, rent, or trade any data — personal or anonymous — with advertising networks, data brokers, insurance companies, banks, or financial institutions.

When you click a partner recommendation (like "Open NPS Account"), you leave TaxZen and go to that partner's website. We do not send your data to them — only the click is registered in our anonymous analytics.

Your Rights (DPDP Act, 2023)

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023:

• Right to access: Ask us what data we hold about you — we'll tell you (it's only your reminder contact info, if you opted in)
• Right to erasure: Ask us to delete your reminder data — we'll do it within 24 hours, no questions asked
• Right to withdraw consent: Change your mind about reminders? Just tell us and we stop and delete

For tax data (salary, PAN, deductions) — this lives only in your browser's local storage. You can delete it anytime by clicking "Start Fresh" in the tool, or clearing your browser data. We have no server-side copy to delete.

Security

• All connections use HTTPS (TLS encryption)
• Reminder data is stored in an encrypted, access-controlled database
• No passwords exist (there are no user accounts)
• Dangerous file types (.exe, .bat, etc.) are blocked at upload
• Document type verification prevents processing of wrong file types

Contact

Questions, concerns, or want your reminder data deleted? Reach us at:

taxzen.help@gmail.com

We respond within 48 hours. For data deletion requests, we act within 24 hours.

Changes to This Policy

If we change how we handle data, we'll update this page and the date above. We will never retroactively use data collected under a previous policy for a new purpose without asking you first.