Privacy Policy
WHO ARE WE?
The In-House Tax Forum ("IHTF") is a non-profit organization creating an informal network of in-house tax experts focusing on Belgian, European and Global direct and indirect tax legislation and developments.
The IHTF comprises tax experts from over 150 companies (Belgian, European and non- European, both listed and unlisted) out of various industries and employing over 250,000 employees in Belgium.
IHTF has its registered office at IHTF vzw, Vanillestraat 1, 9041 Gent. We are registered with the Crossroad Bank of Enterprises under number 1014.443.222.
Mission and objectives
- Knowledge: Enhance tax technical expertise and build knowledge by focusing on trends in Belgian and International Taxation, to analyze and assess the impact on Belgian/multinational companies.
- Experience: Share experiences on an active, reciprocal, open and trustful basis. Act as a sounding board for in-house tax professionals.
- Networking: Stay professionally connected with peers.
- Policy:
- Developing position papers on specific topics to support advocacy work in itself and together with other professional organizations.
- Share findings in a constructive way with already existing forums of tax professionals in order to amend, improve and simplify current and future legislation.
- Give input to specific requests addressed to the business community by policy makers and other stakeholders.
To that extent we are organizing multiple workshops, on various topics, throughout the year. We also have an annual plenary session.
To fulfil our mission of representing our members that count for more than 300 tax professionals, we collect, hold, disclose and otherwise process personal data. Pursuant to applicable data protection and privacy legislation, we qualify as the “data controller” with respect to the personal data that we process.
WE KNOW YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT
Your privacy counts and we strive to protect your personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and more specifically with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and with the applicable national legislation (such as the Belgian act of 30 July 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data).
WHO ARE YOU, i.e., WHOSE PERSONAL DATA DO WE COLLECT?
In the context of our mission, we collect personal data relating to:
- Our members and members’ representatives, as members of our board, members’ assembly or expert groups
- Our suppliers
- Subscribers to newsletters, news alerts or policy updates
- Attendees at our events, including speakers or potential speakers
- Other persons who voluntarily provide us with their personal data (e.g. by giving us their business card at meetings or events)
- Developing position papers on specific topics to support advocacy work in itself and together with other professional organizations.
- Share findings in a constructive way with already existing forums of tax professionals in order to amend, improve and simplify current and future legislation.
- Give input to specific requests addressed to the business community by policy makers and other stakeholders.
HOW DO WE COLLECT PERSONAL DATA?
We may collect information about you in various ways:
- As a IHTF member or member of our expert groups directly from you
- As a supplier directly from you
- When you visit our website www.ihtf.be, or interact with us through our social media accounts
- when you fill in (web)forms to attend events, receive newsletters, publications, policy updates, etc.
- when you respond to online surveys and polls
- when you hand over your business card
- when you hand over your business card
- when you contact us.
- Personal identification data
- Electronic identification data
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- Personal characteristics
- Employment and functions exercised
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- Use of media
- Photos and videos
- Name, address, telephone number, email address or other contact details
- Surfing behavior and tracking results of our e-mailings (we track whether you have received, opened or clicked on our e-mails) see our cookie policy.
- Areas of professional expertise, elements of evaluation of (potential) speakers, etc.
- Current functions and/or previous functions, company, interests, areas of expertise, participation to meetings, working committees, events, workshops etc.
- Use of media and communication methods
- Photos and videos made at events, meetings, etc.
FOR WHAT PURPOSES DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
- member administration and member communication
- supplier administration
- fulfilling contact requests
- organisation of events
- public relations purposes
- direct marketing purposes via electronic mailings (if you subscribed to them)
- management and analysis of our website(s) and social media channels
- research and statistical purposes.
For member administration, member communication and supplier administration we process certain personal data of members and suppliers as required for the proper performance of a contract.
For fulfilling contact requests and the organisation of events, we base the processing of your data based on our legitimate interests.
For direct marketing purposes via electronic mailings, we base the processing of your data as per the consent you have provided us with. You may withdraw your consent at any time or unsubscribe via email.
For public relations purposes (disseminating news about IHTF, events of IHTF, etc.), we may use photos and videos on which you can be seen and/or identified (based on consent or legitimate interests, depending on the situation, see the separate form “consent to the use of image” for more explanation). Other personal data for public relations purposes is processed based on our legitimate interests.
In all other cases, the processing of personal data is based on our legitimate interests to analyse website statistics, to improve the content and quality of our website and to conduct research and surveys.
WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
We may share your personal data with the other members of IHTF and also with third parties, such as partner organizations with whom we organize events and service providers we use (e.g. IT service providers, law firms, consultants, accountancy, events hosts).
We may share your personal data also with our sponsors that support us to organize face to face events, webinars, other online meetings.
The ways in which personal data can be passed on to third parties are:
- We have obtained your prior express consent to do so or we can do so based on the purposes for which the personal data was collected and processed (f.i.performance of the contract through the help of a third party), depending on the situation;
- For compliance with our legal or statutory obligations, e.g. the prevention of fraud and abuse;
- In case of transfer of our business activities to a third party;
Where relevant, contractual safeguards are implemented to ensure the protection of your personal data when disclosing your personal data to a third party.
HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
Your personal data will not be stored for longer than necessary in relation to the purposes for which we process them (we refer to the purposes as listed above). Afterwards they might still be found in our back-ups or archives, but in anonymized form.
More specifically, we apply the following retention guidelines:
- the personal data that is collected via website cookies will be stored for the storage period of the cookie, as indicated in our cookie policy
- the personal data that is collected from attendees of our events are archived and are retained for a period of 6 months after the event has taken place (unless you have indicated the wish to be informed of our future events or activities, in which case the retention period below is applicable);
- likewise, any personal data used for direct marketing purposes will be retained until you have withdrawn your consent (for receiving mailings/newsletters);
- photos and videos will be retained as long as necessary for the execution of our mission;
- personal data used for member and supplier administration are retained for as long as these data are relevant for the performance of a contract and for a period of 10 years thereafter;
- personal data used for fulfilling contact requests are removed after a period of 6 months after fulfilling the contact request.
Only where we are legally obliged to, or where it is necessary for defending our interests in the context of judicial proceedings (e.g. in case of a dispute), we will store the personal data for longer periods. More information on our retention periods is available upon simple request.
HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
We have implemented administrative, technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the specific risks that we have identified. We thereby strive to protect your personal data (to the extent reasonably possible) against destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of or access to personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed.
Further, we seek to ensure that we keep your personal data accurate and up to date. In view thereof, we kindly request you to inform us of any changes to your personal data (such as a change in your contact details).
WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS AND HOW CAN YOU EXERCISE THEM?
Under certain conditions, you have the legal right under articles 15-22 of the GDPR to:
- access your personal data;
- rectify, complete or update your personal data;
- restrict processing of your personal data in certain cases;
- object to the processing of your personal data in certain cases; and to
- receive your personal data (the personal data you provided us with) in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to (have) transmit(ted) your personal data to another organisation.
- object to the processing of your personal data for reasons of direct marketing.
In principle you may exercise these rights free of charge. Where requests are manifestly unfounded, excessive or repetitive, we may however charge a reasonable fee.
You can exercise these rights by contacting us at info@ihtf.be. A proof of identity may be required if we have reasonable doubts concerning the identity of the natural person making the request.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a Data Protection Authority of your choice. The competent Data Protection Authority for IHTF is :
Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données
- +32 (0)2 274 48 00
- contact@apd-gba.be
- Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussels