Terms of Service

Welcome to NorthPine Tax & Accounting ("NorthPine," "we," "us," or "our").

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the NorthPine website, marketplace, applications, communications tools, and related services (collectively, the "Platform").

By accessing the Platform, creating an account, posting a request for services, creating a professional profile, responding to a service request, or otherwise using NorthPine, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Platform.

1. About NorthPine

NorthPine is an online platform designed to connect individuals and businesses in the United States seeking tax, accounting, bookkeeping, and related professional services with independent accounting professionals located in the United States.

Services available through professionals on the Platform may include, depending on the qualifications and services offered by each professional:

  • Individual tax preparation
  • Business tax preparation
  • Tax planning
  • Bookkeeping
  • Payroll-related services
  • Sales tax services
  • Accounting services
  • Financial statement preparation
  • Compiled financial statements
  • Reviewed financial statements
  • Audited financial statements
  • QuickBooks-related services
  • Business accounting guidance
  • Other related tax and accounting services

The availability of any service depends on the qualifications, licenses, credentials, jurisdiction, and services offered by individual professionals.

2. NorthPine Is a Connection Platform

NorthPine is a platform that facilitates connections between clients and independent accounting professionals.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, NorthPine does not itself provide:

  • Tax preparation
  • Tax advice
  • Legal advice
  • Accounting services
  • Bookkeeping services
  • Audits
  • Reviews
  • Compilations
  • Financial statement preparation
  • Investment advice
  • Financial advice

NorthPine is not a CPA firm, accounting firm, bookkeeping firm, law firm, or tax preparation firm solely by virtue of operating the Platform.

Professionals using NorthPine are independent providers and are not employees, partners, agents, joint venturers, or representatives of NorthPine.

NorthPine does not direct or control how independent professionals perform their professional services.

Any engagement for professional services is between the client and the professional selected by the client.

3. No Professional-Client Relationship With NorthPine

Using the NorthPine Platform does not create a CPA-client, accountant-client, bookkeeper-client, tax preparer-client, fiduciary, attorney-client, or other professional relationship between you and NorthPine.

A professional relationship may be established separately between a client and an independent professional.

The terms of that relationship may be governed by a separate engagement letter, service agreement, or other contract between the client and professional.

Users are responsible for reviewing and understanding any engagement agreement before hiring a professional.

4. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding agreement to use NorthPine.

NorthPine is intended for use by:

  • Individuals located in the United States
  • Businesses seeking services in the United States
  • Eligible accounting professionals and firms located in the United States

By creating an account, you represent that the information you provide is accurate, current, and complete.

5. Requirements for Professionals

Professionals who offer services through NorthPine must:

  • Be located in the United States
  • Provide accurate information about their identity and business
  • Accurately represent their licenses, credentials, certifications, qualifications, and experience
  • Maintain all licenses, registrations, permits, credentials, and professional requirements necessary to perform the services they offer
  • Provide services only in jurisdictions where they are legally authorized to do so
  • Comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws
  • Comply with applicable professional and ethical standards
  • Maintain any insurance required by law or applicable professional standards
  • Protect client confidential information
  • Comply with applicable data-security and privacy requirements

Professionals providing paid federal tax-return preparation services are responsible for maintaining any required IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number ("PTIN"). The IRS currently requires individuals who prepare or substantially assist in preparing federal tax returns for compensation to have a valid PTIN.

NorthPine may request documentation to verify a professional's identity, location, credentials, CPA license, certifications, PTIN status, or other qualifications.

NorthPine may suspend or remove a professional who fails to provide requested verification or who provides inaccurate or misleading information.

6. Professional Verification

NorthPine may implement procedures to verify certain information provided by professionals.

Depending on the professional and service, verification may include:

  • Identity
  • U.S. location
  • CPA license
  • Professional credentials
  • Business information
  • Professional experience
  • Certifications
  • Other qualifications

A "Verified" designation or similar indicator means only that NorthPine or a third-party verification provider has taken the verification steps described by NorthPine at that time.

Verification is not an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or representation that a professional will provide satisfactory services or is appropriate for every client's needs.

Clients remain responsible for evaluating and selecting the professional they hire.

7. CPA and Bookkeeper Designations

NorthPine recognizes that professional credentials differ.

The term CPA may only be used by professionals who represent that they hold the applicable CPA license or authorization required by their jurisdiction.

Bookkeepers and bookkeeping professionals may have different certifications, training, education, and experience.

NorthPine will not intentionally represent all bookkeepers as CPAs or imply that all bookkeepers hold the same credentials.

Users should review a professional's credentials and qualifications before engaging their services.

8. Client Responsibilities

Clients using NorthPine agree to:

  • Provide accurate information when creating accounts and posting service requests
  • Describe requested services accurately
  • Provide professionals with complete and accurate information necessary to perform agreed services
  • Respond to reasonable requests for information
  • Review proposals and professional profiles carefully
  • Independently determine whether a professional is appropriate for their needs
  • Meet applicable tax filing, payment, regulatory, and other deadlines
  • Review completed work as appropriate
  • Pay agreed fees according to applicable payment terms

Clients are ultimately responsible for the accuracy and completeness of information they provide to professionals.

NorthPine is not responsible for errors caused by incomplete, inaccurate, false, or untimely information supplied by a client.

9. Posting Requests for Services

Clients may be permitted to post requests describing tax, accounting, bookkeeping, or related services they need.

Users agree not to post:

  • False or misleading information
  • Fraudulent service requests
  • Unlawful requests
  • Discriminatory content prohibited by law
  • Content that infringes intellectual property rights
  • Malicious software or harmful content
  • Another person's sensitive personal information without authorization

NorthPine reserves the right to remove or restrict any posting that violates these Terms or creates a risk to users or the Platform.

10. Proposals and Hiring Professionals

Professionals may respond to client service requests by submitting proposals, estimates, messages, or other information.

Clients are responsible for:

  • Reviewing proposals
  • Comparing professionals
  • Reviewing qualifications and credentials
  • Asking appropriate questions
  • Understanding pricing
  • Reviewing engagement terms
  • Selecting the professional they wish to hire

NorthPine does not guarantee that a client will receive proposals or that a professional will receive work through the Platform.

11. Professional Services and Engagement Agreements

Before professional services begin, the client and professional may enter into a separate engagement letter or service agreement.

For certain services — including audits, reviews, compilations, tax engagements, and other professional accounting services — a written engagement agreement may be appropriate or required by professional standards.

The client and professional are solely responsible for establishing:

  • Scope of services
  • Professional fees
  • Deadlines
  • Deliverables
  • Responsibilities of each party
  • Document requirements
  • Cancellation terms
  • Refund terms
  • Professional standards applicable to the engagement

If a separate engagement agreement conflicts with these Terms regarding the relationship between NorthPine and users, these Terms control with respect to NorthPine and the Platform.

12. Tax Deadlines and Filing Obligations

NorthPine does not guarantee that any tax return, extension, payment, report, filing, financial statement, audit, review, compilation, or other deliverable will be completed by a particular deadline.

Clients and professionals are responsible for clearly agreeing upon deadlines.

Clients remain responsible for understanding and meeting their applicable filing and payment obligations.

Posting a request on NorthPine does not constitute filing a tax return, requesting a tax extension, paying taxes, or satisfying any government deadline.

Hiring a professional close to a deadline does not guarantee that the professional can complete the requested services by that deadline.

13. No Guarantee of Tax Results

Neither NorthPine nor any professional may guarantee a particular tax refund, tax liability, audit result, financial outcome, or business result through the Platform.

Tax outcomes depend on individual facts and circumstances and applicable law.

Users should be cautious of any professional who promises a specific refund or bases claims solely on obtaining a larger refund.

14. Fees and Payments

NorthPine may charge:

  • Client service fees
  • Professional membership fees
  • Subscription fees
  • Transaction fees
  • Platform fees
  • Payment processing fees
  • Other clearly disclosed fees

Applicable fees will be disclosed before a user is charged.

Professional service fees are determined according to the pricing or agreement established between the client and professional.

Payments may be processed by third-party payment providers.

By submitting payment information, you authorize the applicable payment processor to charge the authorized amount according to the transaction terms.

NorthPine may change its platform pricing in the future. Changes to recurring fees will be communicated as required by applicable law.

15. Refunds, Cancellations, and Disputes

Refund and cancellation rights may depend on:

  • The type of service
  • Whether work has begun
  • The professional's engagement agreement
  • NorthPine's applicable payment policies
  • Applicable law

Users should review all applicable cancellation and refund terms before hiring a professional.

If NorthPine offers a dispute-resolution process, users agree to participate in good faith.

NorthPine may attempt to facilitate communication between users but is not required to determine which party is legally responsible in a professional-services dispute.

16. Confidential and Financial Information

Tax and accounting services involve sensitive information.

Users should exercise care when sharing:

  • Social Security numbers
  • Employer Identification Numbers
  • Tax returns
  • Bank account information
  • Payroll information
  • Financial statements
  • Identity documents
  • Business records
  • Other confidential information

Users should use secure document-sharing methods designated by NorthPine or the professional.

Users should not send highly sensitive financial or identity information through ordinary, unsecured email or other unsecured communication channels.

NorthPine's handling of personal information is further described in our Privacy Policy.

17. No Bots or AI Providing Professional Accounting Services

NorthPine's mission is to connect clients with real accounting professionals located in the United States.

NorthPine does not represent artificial intelligence, automated software, or chatbots as licensed CPAs or professional bookkeepers.

Any technology used by NorthPine to operate, secure, search, organize, support, or improve the Platform does not itself create a professional accounting relationship or constitute professional tax or accounting advice.

Individual professionals may use technology in operating their own practices, subject to their professional obligations and agreements with clients.

18. Communications

NorthPine may provide tools that allow clients and professionals to communicate.

Users agree not to use these tools to:

  • Harass or threaten others
  • Send spam
  • Commit fraud
  • Transmit malware
  • Engage in illegal activity
  • Improperly obtain personal information
  • Violate another person's privacy

NorthPine may take action against accounts that misuse communication tools.

19. Reviews and Ratings

NorthPine may allow clients and professionals to submit reviews and ratings.

Reviews must reflect genuine experiences and must not contain knowingly false, fraudulent, defamatory, threatening, or unlawful content.

NorthPine does not permit the purchase or sale of fake reviews.

NorthPine may remove content that violates these Terms, but we will not remove an otherwise lawful review solely because it expresses a negative opinion.

20. Prohibited Conduct

Users may not:

  • Impersonate another person
  • Misrepresent professional credentials
  • Falsely claim to be a CPA
  • Provide services without required licenses or authorization
  • Engage in fraud
  • Submit fake reviews
  • Attempt to compromise Platform security
  • Scrape or harvest user information without authorization
  • Introduce malware
  • Circumvent payment obligations or Platform fees in violation of applicable policies
  • Use NorthPine for unlawful purposes
  • Violate another person's intellectual property rights
  • Use information obtained through NorthPine for unauthorized marketing or solicitation

21. Account Suspension and Termination

NorthPine may suspend, restrict, or terminate an account if we reasonably believe a user:

  • Violated these Terms
  • Provided false information
  • Misrepresented credentials
  • Engaged in fraud
  • Created a security risk
  • Failed to pay applicable fees
  • Violated applicable law
  • Engaged in conduct that could harm NorthPine or its users

Where appropriate, NorthPine may investigate reported conduct before taking action.

Users may close their accounts according to the account procedures available through the Platform.

22. Intellectual Property

The NorthPine name, logo, website design, branding, text, graphics, and other Platform content owned by NorthPine are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

Users may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, or commercially exploit NorthPine's intellectual property without authorization.

Users retain ownership of content they submit but grant NorthPine a non-exclusive license to host, display, reproduce, and use that content as reasonably necessary to operate and promote the Platform, subject to our Privacy Policy.

23. Third-Party Services

NorthPine may rely on third-party providers for services such as:

  • Marketplace technology
  • Website hosting
  • Payment processing
  • Authentication
  • Communications
  • Cloud storage
  • Analytics
  • Credential verification

NorthPine is not responsible for third-party services outside our reasonable control.

Use of third-party services may also be subject to the third party's own terms and privacy policies.

24. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE NORTHPINE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE."

NORTHPINE DOES NOT GUARANTEE:

  • Continuous or error-free Platform availability
  • That every professional will meet every client's expectations
  • The accuracy of all user-submitted information
  • A particular tax, accounting, or business result
  • That a client will receive proposals
  • That a professional will obtain clients
  • That professional services will be completed by a specific deadline

Nothing in these Terms excludes warranties or rights that cannot legally be excluded.

25. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, NORTHPINE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM USE OF THE PLATFORM OR SERVICES PROVIDED BY INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONALS.

NorthPine is not responsible for professional errors, omissions, negligence, malpractice, missed deadlines, tax liabilities, penalties, interest, lost profits, or other losses caused by an independent professional.

[An attorney should insert an appropriate dollar cap or fee-based liability limitation here based on NorthPine's business model and governing state law.]

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain liability limitations, so these limitations apply only to the extent permitted by law.

26. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, users agree to indemnify and hold harmless NorthPine and its owners, officers, employees, and affiliates from claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and reasonable expenses arising from:

  • The user's violation of these Terms
  • The user's unlawful conduct
  • Content submitted by the user
  • A professional's provision of professional services
  • A client's inaccurate or incomplete information
  • The user's violation of another person's rights

This provision should be interpreted and enforced only to the extent permitted by applicable law.

27. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [Insert NorthPine's State of Formation/Principal Business Location], without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute involving NorthPine will be resolved according to the dispute-resolution procedures specified here.

[Before launch, NorthPine's attorney should determine whether this section will require arbitration, permit court proceedings, include a class-action waiver, specify venue, and/or provide an informal dispute-resolution period.]

Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from exercising rights that cannot lawfully be waived.

28. Changes to These Terms

NorthPine may update these Terms periodically.

When changes are made, we will update the "Last Updated" date.

For material changes, we may provide additional notice as required by applicable law.

Continued use of the Platform after updated Terms become effective constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by law.

29. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the NorthPine Privacy Policy and any other policies expressly incorporated into these Terms, constitute the agreement between you and NorthPine concerning use of the Platform.

Separate professional engagement agreements between clients and professionals are independent agreements to which NorthPine is not a party unless expressly stated otherwise.

30. Contact Us

Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to:

NorthPine Tax & Accounting Email: rkreider@northpinetax.com Phone: 814-396-2151 Mailing Address: 15 Glenn Bridge Road, Unit F, Arden, NC 28704