Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Client," "you," or "your") and Civic Stone Tax Services LLC ("Civic Stone," "we," "our," or "us"), a tax preparation and financial services company. These Terms govern your access to and use of our website at civicstone.tax, our client portal, our scheduling system, and all related services (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing our website, creating an account, booking an appointment, or engaging our tax services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

2. Description of Services

Civic Stone Tax Services LLC provides professional tax preparation, tax planning, and related financial services including:

• Individual federal and state tax return preparation (Form 1040 and related schedules)
• Self-employed and freelancer tax preparation (Schedule C, SE)
• Small business tax preparation (Partnerships, S-Corps, C-Corps)
• Tax planning and consultation services
• Prior year tax return preparation and amendments
• IRS correspondence and audit support (where applicable)
• Access to the Apex Tributum AI platform for enrolled clients

Our services are provided by or under the supervision of qualified tax professionals. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any service at any time without notice.

3. Client Responsibilities

3.1 Accuracy of Information

You are solely responsible for providing complete, accurate, and truthful information necessary for the preparation of your tax returns. This includes all income documents (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s), deduction records, business expense documentation, and any other relevant financial records. Civic Stone relies on the information you provide and does not independently verify the accuracy of client-supplied data.

3.2 Review of Returns

You are responsible for reviewing all prepared tax returns before signing and authorizing filing. By signing Form 8879 (IRS e-file Signature Authorization) or any other authorization form, you certify that the return is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge.

3.3 Timely Response

You agree to respond promptly to requests for additional information or documentation. Delays in providing requested information may affect our ability to meet filing deadlines.

4. Fees and Payment

4.1 Service Fees

Service fees are established at the time of engagement and are based on the complexity of your tax situation. Final fees may differ from initial estimates if your tax situation is more complex than originally anticipated. We will notify you of any fee changes before proceeding with additional work.

4.2 Payment Terms

Payment is due prior to delivery of completed tax returns or upon completion of services, as specified in your service agreement. We accept major credit cards, debit cards, and ACH transfers through our secure payment processor (Stripe). All fees are non-refundable once work has commenced, except as otherwise provided in our refund policy.

4.3 Late Fees

Invoices not paid within 30 days of the due date may be subject to a late fee of 1.5% per month on the outstanding balance, up to the maximum allowed by applicable law.

5. Confidentiality

We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of all client information. We will not disclose your tax information to any third party without your express written consent, except as required by law (including IRS regulations and court orders) or as necessary to provide the services you have requested (such as electronic filing with the IRS and state tax agencies).

Our confidentiality obligations are governed by applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC §7216), Treasury Regulations, and applicable state laws governing tax practitioners.

6. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CIVIC STONE TAX SERVICES LLC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF OUR SERVICES.

Our total liability to you for any claims arising from or related to our services shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to Civic Stone in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the claim.

We are not responsible for penalties or interest assessed by the IRS or state tax authorities that result from inaccurate or incomplete information provided by you, changes in tax law after preparation, or your failure to timely respond to IRS notices.

7. Intellectual Property

All content on our website, including text, graphics, logos, images, and software, is the property of Civic Stone Tax Services LLC or its content suppliers and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our content without our express written permission.

8. Third-Party Services

Our services may integrate with third-party platforms including Stripe (payment processing), Clerk (authentication), Convex (data infrastructure), and the Apex Tributum AI platform. Your use of these third-party services is governed by their respective terms of service and privacy policies. Civic Stone is not responsible for the practices of third-party service providers.

9. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from or related to these Terms or our services shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association's Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in the state where Civic Stone Tax Services LLC is registered. You agree to waive your right to a jury trial for any disputes covered by this clause.

10. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the state in which Civic Stone Tax Services LLC is registered, without regard to conflict of law principles.

11. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on our website. Your continued use of our services after the effective date of the updated Terms constitutes acceptance of the changes.

12. Contact Information