{"id":3771,"date":"2018-02-13T16:40:02","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T16:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=3771"},"modified":"2025-12-09T16:45:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T16:45:50","slug":"gdpr-guide-accountants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/gdpr-guide-accountants\/","title":{"rendered":"A quick-start accountants guide for GDPR"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStrategy, Legal & Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tA quick-start accountants guide for GDPR\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tKeir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Believe it or not, it was just 100 days as of Valentine\u2019s Day until the GDPR comes into force on 25 May 2018. You might want to use that as a milestone to measure how well your GDPR preparations are progressing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the\u00a0Sage Sessions\u00a0event in Newcastle on 20\u00a0February 2018 our panel of experts discussed GDPR for accountants and the impact it will have on your practice and clients, and how to ensure you are on track for the changes in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were unable to attend (or even if you were there), here are some notes for GDPR adoption within accountancy practices, with the following caveats. First, this is not an exclusive list and nor is it a substitute for receiving legally qualified advice or examining your own procedures and methods in depth (see the Sage Legal Disclaimer at the end of this piece).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, at the time of writing the exact impact isn\u2019t yet known of the GDPR<\/a> and accountants and bookkeepers should make sure they stay informed. For example, we lack practical examples of what agencies such as the Information Commissioner\u2019s Office<\/a> are likely to find acceptable or objectionable, and some of the wording of the GDPR legislation is open to interpretation. Therefore, what\u2019s detailed below can only be considered educated guesses at the very best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GDPR<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Need help with meeting your GDPR obligations and making sure your businesses processes are working in the correct way? Here’s what you need to know.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFind out more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Working\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

GDPR and accountants: software considerations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Accounting software<\/a> is at the core of many firms that manage financial and personal data on behalf of their clients. Under GDPR enforcement, technical considerations must be given to how and where your selected software processes and hosts personal data, particularly if the software is cloud-based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accountants and bookkeepers must clarify with their IT and software providers how these systems will be compliant with GDPR. A comprehensive questionnaire\/checklist will help to map dataflows and identify any vulnerabilities ahead of the GDPR compliance deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This should cover everything relating to how the software interacts with personal data, including but not limited to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n