SECTION A: INTRODUCTION
Thank you for visiting FileLocal and reviewing the Privacy Notice. Participating cities along with our technology provider, Avenu Insights & Analytics, value your privacy, and the information collected on FileLocal is for the purpose of allowing businesses doing business in any City participating in FileLocal to register their business and file and pay Business and Occupation taxes.
This statement addresses data collection, use of the information you provide, and security of and access to information that may be obtained through your use of FileLocal. Official websites for the Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency comprise the following domains:
- FileLocal.org (Agency information website)
- FileLocal-wa.gov (primary web address for business license and tax filing)
Other domain names owned by FileLocal:
- FileLocal.com
- FileLocal.biz
SECTION B: INFORMATION COLLECTED
We collect the following information in order to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of the FileLocal websites and to help make the site more accessible and useful to our customers:
- The Internet Protocol address and connection information. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned to either your Internet service provider or directly to your computer.
- The type of browser and operating system and display settings you used.
- The date and time you visited this site and how long you were on the site.
- The Web pages you accessed during your visit.
- The Web site which referred you to this site.
- Any words you used to search this site.
- The amount of data sent and received.
Additionally, the FileLocal websites may use analytics tools from Google Analytics to help monitor visits to the site, user
technologies, peak traffic times, and other data that can be used to help make the FileLocal experience better. Information on what may be collected by any FileLocal pages with added Google Analytics code can be found at http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/#infocollect, https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245, and https://developers.google.com/analytics/resources/concepts/gaConceptsTrackingOverview.
When you visit or use FileLocal websites, we may also collect personal information from or about you such as your name, email address, mailing address, telephone number(s), account numbers, username, and password. We may also collect other information as requested or when it is reasonably required for ordinary business purposes such as registering your business and/or filing business taxes on FileLocal-wa.gov.
Requests to delete information collected by FileLocal websites are subject to Washington state record retention and archival laws that may limit or preclude the agency’s ability to accommodate such requests. Deletion requests are subject to determination on a case-by-case basis.
PERSONAL INFORMATION AND CHOICE
Other than the information listed above, we do not collect personal information from you unless you voluntarily provide this information to use through the use of the websites, communication via email, or responding to a survey. If you choose not to use FileLocal-wa.gov, you still have the ability to register your business and to file and pay your taxes in each individual city you do business in. You also will retain the ability to browse FileLocal.org and read or download any information provided on the Agency website.
If personal information is requested on the websites or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, as the Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency is a municipal non-profit corporation, this information becomes a public record once you provide it, and it may be subject to public inspection and copying under the Washington state Public Records Act if not exempt from disclosure or otherwise protected by state or federal law.
If you believe your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact the FileLocal Help Desk.
Help desk Contact Information:
- Toll Free Number: 1-877-693-4435
- Direct Line: 225-215-0052
- Email: Support Portal
SECTION C: USE OF INFORMATION
If during a visit to FileLocal you participate in a survey, send an email, or perform an online transaction, the following additional information will be collected:
- The email address and contents of the email if you are communicating via email
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- FileLocal and Avenu Insights & Analytics use your email to directly respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our website, or to forward the e-mail to a FileLocal participating city or another agency for appropriate action. The message and email address may be retained by the server. Please refer to our retention policies on FileLocal.org for further information.
- Information volunteered in response to a survey.
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- FileLocal uses survey information to improve our services to you.
- Information volunteered through an online application or form for any other purpose.
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- Information from other online forms is used for the purpose requested and as authorized by the participating FileLocal cities by statutes or ordinances.
The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic formats you send via the online systems.
SECTION D: CONTROL OF INFORMATION
Secure applications allow you to create a password to access or submit personal information. You should not divulge your password to anyone. The Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency or Avenu Insights & Analytics will never ask you for your password in an unsolicited telephone call or e-mail. When you have finished with any password-protected application, we recommend you exit the page.
We provide links to various external websites. Neither Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency nor Avenu Insights & Analytics is responsible for the content or presentation of such external websites. By linking to an external website, we do not endorse its products, services, accuracy, or security policies. Once you pass to another website not maintained by us, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website.
Neither the Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency nor Avenu Insights & Analytics guarantees the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by third-party websites, nor do they endorse any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from these websites, nor are they liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of information presented by third-party websites or derived therefrom. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from third-party websites does so at their own risk.
SECTION E: DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
Washington State laws exist to ensure government is open and the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by government. This applies to cities participating in FileLocal as well as the Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency. Tax and business-registration information you submit through FileLocal will be accessible and stored by the relevant city as part of its system of records.
All information collected on these sites becomes a public record that may be subject to inspection and copying by members of the public under Washington’s Public Records Act, unless an exemption in law exists (e.g., RCW 42.56.070 (1)).
Returns and tax information shall be kept confidential and privileged under RCW 42.56.230(4).
SECTION F: SECURITY
The Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency and Avenu Insights & Analytics have taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of its telecommunications and computing infrastructure, including, but not limited to authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. Security measures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day practices of the entire operating environment as part of our continuing commitment to risk management.
These safeguards should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail-proof the security of information provided via FileLocal.
SECTION G: BREACH AND BREACH NOTIFICATION
The Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency and Avenu Insights & Analytics have set up a protocol in the event of a security breach, and the agency is developing a breach notification policy to be approved by the Executive Board in the fourth quarter of 2021.
If you believe you are a victim of a security breach on FileLocal-wa.gov then please contact the FileLocal help desk.
Help desk Contact Information:
- Toll Free Number: 1-877-693-4435
- Direct Line: 225-215-0052
- Email: Support Portal
SECTION H: RECORD RETENTION
The Washington Multi-City Business License and Tax Portal Agency and Avenu Insights & Analytics Systems have set up a protocol for record retention, and the agency has adopted a record retention policy consistent with Washington state law. See FileLocal Executive Board Resolution 2014-20, adopted September 2014, and as further updated in September 2020 by Resolution 2020-07, Attachment A, page 19.
SECTION I: NOTIFICATION OF POLICY CHANGES
This Privacy Policy will be reviewed from time to time and changes to the policy will be updated and take effect when posted on the FileLocal websites.