Privacy Policy

1. Controller and scope

balanci.app is operated from Berlin, Germany. For data protection matters, contact: privacy@balanci.app.

This policy applies to the public website, account registration, authenticated workspace, support channels, and invitation request flows.

2. Personal data we process

• Account data: name, email address, password hash, authentication metadata.
• Business and accounting records entered by you: clients, invoices, expenses, income entries, tax prep data, uploaded documents, and related metadata.
• Support and invitation data: ticket subject, message body, email correspondence, status history.
• Technical/security data: IP-derived risk signals, timestamps, device/browser metadata, server logs.
• Optional website analytics data (only if you consent): page views, navigation events, approximate location/country, device/browser information, and referrer information collected via Google Analytics.
• For official tax-authority transmission via ERiC: declaration data, transfer metadata, protocol/log data, and operating system type required for transmission integrity checks.

3. Purposes and legal bases (GDPR Art. 6)

• Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): account access, core accounting workflows, support requested by you.
• Legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c)): bookkeeping, tax, and compliance retention duties under applicable law.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): abuse prevention, fraud/rate limiting, security monitoring, and service reliability.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): optional website analytics (Google Analytics) and any other optional processing that requires prior opt-in.
• Tax administration processing context (Art. 6(1)(e) in conjunction with Art. 6(3) DSGVO): where declarations are transmitted to tax-authority systems, tax authorities process the transmitted data under applicable tax law.

4. Mandatory tax-administration data protection notice

Before using direct tax transmission features, we provide the mandatory tax administration notice and require acknowledgement. The notice text is:

Datenschutzhinweis durch die Finanzverwaltung: "Mit dieser Software werden personenbezogene Daten im Sinne des Art. 4 Nr. 1 Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO) und Art. 9 Abs. 1 DSGVO zum Zwecke der Verarbeitung erhoben. Neben den reinen Daten, die zur Steuerveranlagung benötigt werden, erhebt die Software Daten über die Art des Betriebssystems des Nutzers und übermittelt diese an die Finanzverwaltung. Diese Daten werden benötigt, um die ordnungsgemäße Verarbeitung der Daten sicherzustellen und Fehlern im Verarbeitungsprozess vorzubeugen. Die Nutzung der Daten erfolgt im Rahmen des Art. 6 Abs. 1 UAbs. 1 Buchst. e i.V.m. Abs. 3 UAbs. 1 Buchst. b DSGVO i.V.m. bundes- bzw. landesgesetzlicher Steuergesetze durch die Finanzverwaltung und nur für den genannten Zweck."

We also provide the document "Allgemeine Informationen zur Umsetzung der datenschutzrechtlichen Vorgaben der Artikel 12 bis 14 der Datenschutz-Grundverordnung in der Steuerverwaltung" prior to first transmission use.

5. Data residency and processors

balanci.app is designed with EU data residency as a primary default. Where we use service providers (processors), we use contractual data processing terms and review technical/organizational safeguards.

If personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we apply lawful transfer mechanisms (for example, Standard Contractual Clauses) and additional safeguards where required.

6. Retention

We retain data only as long as needed for the purposes above, including legal and accounting retention periods. Retention periods vary by data type, and legally required records may be kept for up to 10 years where applicable.

ERiC protocol/log files are generated for transmission diagnostics. Where ERiC runs locally, logs remain on the end user device by default. Where ERiC runs on our infrastructure, logs are stored on our server systems by default.

7. Security

We apply technical and organizational measures appropriate to risk, including access controls, encrypted transport, restricted infrastructure access, and abuse protection for public endpoints.

Protocol/log files are only shared with tax administration support channels where necessary and only with explicit end user permission.

8. Your rights

Under GDPR, you may request access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, or objection.

You may also lodge a complaint with a competent German or EU supervisory authority. To exercise rights, contact privacy@balanci.app.

9. Cookies and local storage

We use essential authentication/session storage required to run the service securely. We also store your privacy preference (accept/decline analytics) in local storage so your choice is remembered.

We do not load non-essential analytics cookies/tags on the website unless you explicitly opt in via the privacy settings banner/control.

You can withdraw or change your analytics consent at any time using the persistent "Privacy settings" button shown on the site.

10. Website analytics (Google Analytics)

If you opt in, we use Google Analytics 4 (Google tag / gtag.js) to understand website usage and improve product pages and onboarding flows. Analytics is optional and disabled by default until consent is given.

Google Analytics may process identifiers (such as cookie/device identifiers), usage events, page paths, referrer URLs, browser/device metadata, and approximate location derived from IP/network information. We configure analytics for measurement only and do not enable advertising personalization signals.

Google Analytics is provided by Google Ireland Limited (for EEA users), with support operations that may involve Google LLC in the United States or other jurisdictions. Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we rely on applicable transfer safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) as provided by the vendor.

For more information about Google Analytics processing, please review Google's privacy information and terms.

11. RABE reference notice

If we provide RABE (Referenzierung auf Belege) features, we will show the following mandatory notice before relevant use:

"Die zum Zwecke des Belegabrufs durch RABE in der Datenhaltung des Softwareherstellers bereitgestellten und hierfür in einem Erklärungsdatensatz referenzierten Belege können bei Bedarf von der Steuerverwaltung abgerufen und zum Zwecke der Datenverarbeitung an die Finanzverwaltung weitergeleitet werden."

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect legal, operational, or product changes. Material updates are published on this page with a revised date.