Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between InQ Tax Inc., a Missouri corporation ("InQ," "we," "us," or "our"), and the individual or business entity accessing or using our websites, software applications, and related services ("you" or "your").

By creating an account, purchasing a subscription, accessing our software, or using any portion of the Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you access the Services on behalf of a company, tax preparation business, accounting firm, or other organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

If you do not agree, you must not access or use the Services.

2. Definitions

For purposes of these Terms:

"Services" means the software products, websites, applications, and related services offered by InQ, including InQ Check-In, InQ Portal, InQ Notices, and future products or features made subject to these Terms.

"Subscriber" means the individual, firm, or organization purchasing or registering for the Services.

"Authorized User" means an employee, contractor, owner, or other person whom a Subscriber authorizes to access the Services.

"Client User" means a taxpayer, customer, or other individual given access to any client-facing functionality through a Subscriber.

"Client Data" means documents, tax information, personal information, communications, financial information, records, and other materials submitted, uploaded, generated, or stored through the Services by or on behalf of Subscribers or Client Users.

"Subscription" means the recurring paid or trial-based arrangement under which a Subscriber receives access to specified Services.

"Third-Party Services" means external applications or service providers integrated with or accessible through InQ, including payment processing providers.

3. Description of Services

InQ provides software solutions intended to assist tax and accounting professionals with client intake, workflow management, document exchange, communications, electronic signatures, billing, payments, tax notice management, and related administrative activities.

InQ is a technology provider and does not, through the provision of its software, establish an accountant-client, tax preparer-client, attorney-client, or other professional advisory relationship with a Subscriber's clients.

All professional services provided by Subscribers to their clients remain solely the responsibility of those Subscribers.

Access to particular features or products depends on the Subscription selected, any applicable purchase agreement, and product availability.

InQ may introduce, modify, improve, replace, or discontinue features or products, subject to applicable law and any specific contractual commitments.

4. Accounts and Authorized Access

Subscribers are responsible for maintaining accurate account information and designating Authorized Users.

Subscribers must ensure that all Authorized Users comply with these Terms and applicable laws.

Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials and may not knowingly share credentials with unauthorized persons.

Subscribers must promptly notify InQ of suspected unauthorized access, security breaches involving their accounts, or improper use of the Services.

Subscribers determine which personnel and Client Users receive access to their accounts and are responsible for managing access permissions.

InQ may suspend access when reasonably necessary to address security risks, suspected fraud, unauthorized activity, or material violations of these Terms.

5. Subscription Plans and Payments

5.1 Subscription Selection

InQ offers its products through individual subscriptions, bundled subscriptions, and other promotional or contractual arrangements.

The subscription price, billing frequency, included products, and other applicable commercial terms will be identified during checkout or in a separate written agreement.

5.2 Recurring Billing

By purchasing a recurring Subscription, the Subscriber authorizes InQ and its designated payment processor to charge the payment method provided according to the selected billing frequency.

Subscriptions automatically renew for successive periods of the same length unless canceled before the applicable renewal date or otherwise specified in a written agreement.

5.3 Cancellation

Subscribers may cancel their Subscriptions through available account-management functionality or by contacting InQ through its designated support channels.

Unless otherwise stated in writing or required by law, cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid Subscription period, and access continues until that period expires.

5.4 Refunds

Except as required by applicable law or expressly provided in a separate written agreement, Subscription payments are nonrefundable, including payments for partially used billing periods.

InQ may, at its discretion, issue refunds or credits in individual circumstances without establishing an obligation to do so in other circumstances.

5.5 Price Changes

InQ may adjust Subscription pricing. Changes affecting existing recurring Subscribers will be communicated in advance and generally take effect at the next renewal rather than during an already-paid Subscription period.

5.6 Failed Payments

If a payment fails, InQ may attempt to process the payment again and may suspend or restrict access after reasonable notice until outstanding amounts are resolved.

5.7 Taxes

Subscribers are responsible for applicable sales, use, transaction, and similar taxes arising from their purchases, excluding taxes assessed on InQ's net income.

5.8 Promotional Offers

Trials, promotional pricing, discounts, and special offers may be governed by additional terms disclosed when the offer is made.

6. Free Trials and Special Licensing

InQ may offer limited-time free trials of eligible products, including Check-In, subject to the terms communicated at registration.

Trial eligibility, duration, features, and access limitations may vary.

Unless expressly disclosed and authorized, registration for a free trial does not automatically establish a paid Subscription.

Access may expire at the end of the trial unless the Subscriber purchases an eligible Subscription.

Lifetime licenses, perpetual-use arrangements, or other special licensing offers, if made available, are governed by their own written agreements. The term "lifetime" does not independently guarantee perpetual product availability, support, hosting, or upgrades beyond the commitments expressly established in the applicable agreement.

7. Relationship Between Subscribers and Client Users

Subscribers are independent professional service providers responsible for their relationships with Client Users.

Any engagement letter, proposal, service agreement, invoice, or other contractual arrangement between a Subscriber and Client User is an agreement between those parties, not InQ.

InQ is not responsible for the accuracy, quality, timeliness, completeness, or legality of professional services performed by Subscribers.

Disputes relating to professional services, tax return preparation, tax advice, professional fees, refunds, or engagement obligations must generally be resolved between the Subscriber and Client User.

Client Users acknowledge that their access to InQ is ordinarily provided through a Subscriber and that the Subscriber determines their access to documents, messages, records, and functionality.

Termination of a Subscriber's account may affect the Client User's access to information maintained through that account.

8. Payment Processing

InQ integrates with Stripe to facilitate payment functionality, including applicable credit card and ACH transactions.

Payment processing is performed through Stripe and may be subject to Stripe's applicable agreements, policies, processing restrictions, and verification requirements.

Where a Subscriber accepts payments from Client Users through InQ:

1. The Subscriber is the provider of the professional services for which payment is requested.
2. The Subscriber is responsible for establishing applicable fees, issuing accurate invoices, and resolving disputes about the underlying professional services.
3. Client Users authorize the payments they initiate or separately approve, including recurring transactions when properly authorized.
4. Stripe may collect and process financial information necessary to complete transactions.
5. Refunds, chargebacks, returned payments, payment disputes, and associated fees are governed by applicable Stripe terms and the contractual relationships among the relevant parties.
6. InQ may transmit transaction instructions and related information as necessary to provide authorized payment functionality.

InQ does not independently guarantee that payments will be accepted, settled, deposited, or available within a particular period.

Responsibility for payment-related losses, refunds, disputes, and other liabilities will be determined according to applicable law, the payment-processing agreements, and any applicable agreements between InQ and the Subscriber.

Subscribers must comply with Stripe's applicable terms and may not use payment functionality for unlawful or prohibited transactions.

9. Electronic Signatures and Records

Certain InQ Services support electronic signatures, identity verification, electronic records, and document acknowledgment.

Users agree that electronic signatures and records may be used in transactions conducted through the Services to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Subscribers are responsible for determining whether a particular document, transaction, or government filing permits electronic signatures and whether any specific identity verification, consent, retention, or procedural requirements apply.

For tax documents, including IRS Form 8879, Subscribers must comply with applicable IRS publications, electronic filing requirements, and other governing standards.

InQ does not guarantee that every electronic signature will satisfy the requirements of every government agency, jurisdiction, document type, or transaction.

10. Data Ownership and Processing

As between InQ and the Subscriber, the Subscriber and its Client Users retain their respective ownership rights in Client Data.

InQ does not acquire ownership of Client Data by receiving, storing, or processing it.

Subscribers and Client Users grant InQ a limited, nonexclusive right to receive, store, transmit, reproduce, process, back up, and otherwise use Client Data as reasonably necessary to provide, maintain, support, secure, and operate the Services, fulfill legal obligations, and carry out other purposes expressly authorized by applicable agreements or law.

InQ will not sell identifiable taxpayer information or use identifiable Client Data for unrelated advertising or AI model training without an appropriate lawful basis and any required authorization.

InQ may analyze technical and operational usage information to maintain and improve its Services. Any use of aggregated or de-identified Client Data must comply with applicable confidentiality, tax information, and privacy requirements.

11. Taxpayer Information and Section 7216

InQ operates as a United States-based company using United States-based servers for its hosted application infrastructure.

The Services are intended to assist tax professionals with ordinary business and tax preparation-related functions.

Subscribers are responsible for determining whether their particular disclosures or uses of taxpayer information require consent under Internal Revenue Code Section 7216, its implementing regulations, or other applicable law.

Where consent is required, the Subscriber is responsible for obtaining and documenting legally sufficient consent before the applicable disclosure or use.

Use of InQ does not relieve Subscribers of their obligations under tax confidentiality laws, professional standards, or data protection requirements.

InQ will process tax-related information for authorized purposes consistent with applicable law, including any legal obligations directly applicable to InQ in its role as a service provider.

The existence of a domestic service provider or U.S.-based hosting arrangement does not, by itself, establish that every conceivable disclosure or use is exempt from consent requirements.

12. Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality

InQ recognizes that the Services may contain highly sensitive personal, financial, and taxpayer information.

InQ will maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction, taking into account the nature of the information and applicable legal requirements.

Subscribers are responsible for maintaining appropriate safeguards within their own organizations, including credential management, access controls, employee training, and secure handling of downloaded information.

InQ may engage qualified service providers where reasonably necessary to operate its Services, subject to applicable confidentiality and data protection obligations.

Neither InQ nor the Subscriber can guarantee absolute security of information transmitted over the internet or maintained in electronic systems.

The collection and handling of personal information are further described in InQ's Privacy Policy and any applicable data processing agreement.

13. Data Retention, Export, and Account Termination

InQ may maintain certain communications and records for up to ten years under its applicable retention practices, subject to legal requirements, system capabilities, and documented retention policies.

The availability of historical information does not relieve Subscribers of their own legal or professional record-retention obligations.

Subscribers remain responsible for maintaining independent copies of records required for tax preparation, professional compliance, or business continuity.

Upon cancellation or termination, access to the Services and stored Client Data may be restricted.

Where reasonably available and legally permissible, InQ may provide a limited opportunity for Subscribers to retrieve their Client Data following termination.

InQ may delete or anonymize data in accordance with its published retention policies, contractual obligations, and applicable law.

InQ is not required to retain information indefinitely.

14. Subscriber-Configured Features and Communications

Subscribers may configure various aspects of the Services, including workflows, statuses, client forms, custom fields, reminders, notifications, automated communications, and related settings.

Subscribers are responsible for reviewing their configurations and ensuring that communications and automated actions are appropriate, accurate, and legally compliant.

Automated emails, reminders, and notifications may be affected by subscriber settings, third-party delivery systems, connectivity, filtering, or other technical conditions.

Subscribers must not rely exclusively on automated workflows or notifications to satisfy legal deadlines, professional responsibilities, or other time-sensitive obligations.

15. Acceptable Use

Users may not:

• Access information or accounts without authorization.
• Introduce malware, viruses, or malicious code.
• Attempt to bypass security controls or interfere with the Services.
• Reverse engineer or reproduce proprietary software except to the extent permitted by applicable law.
• Resell, sublicense, or redistribute Services without authorization.
• Use the Services to violate privacy, tax confidentiality, intellectual property, or other applicable laws.
• Use automated systems to scrape or extract information without authorization.
• Interfere with other users' access or the normal operation of InQ.
• Use the Services to facilitate fraud, impersonation, unlawful financial transactions, or other prohibited conduct.

InQ may investigate suspected violations and take reasonable protective action, including suspension or termination.

16. Intellectual Property

InQ and its licensors retain all rights, title, and interest in the Services, including software, source code, designs, functionality, trademarks, documentation, and related intellectual property.

Subject to compliance with these Terms and payment of applicable fees, InQ grants Subscribers a limited, nonexclusive, nontransferable license to access and use the purchased Services for their authorized business purposes.

No ownership interest in InQ software is transferred by purchase or Subscription.

Users may submit suggestions, ideas, or feedback. InQ may use such feedback to improve its products without compensation, provided that doing so does not disclose confidential Client Data or violate applicable law.

17. Third-Party Integrations

The Services may integrate with third-party applications and providers.

Third-Party Services are governed by their own applicable terms and privacy policies.

InQ is not responsible for the independent acts, omissions, outages, or policy changes of third parties, except to the extent InQ is responsible under applicable law or a separate agreement.

Certain integrations may become unavailable due to technical, contractual, regulatory, or operational changes.

18. Service Availability and Modifications

InQ will use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain and improve the availability and reliability of its Services.

However, temporary interruptions may occur due to maintenance, upgrades, security incidents, internet connectivity, hosting providers, third-party failures, or circumstances beyond InQ's reasonable control.

Unless expressly provided in a separate service-level agreement, InQ does not guarantee uninterrupted availability or a specified uptime percentage.

InQ may release new features, improvements, security updates, or corrections without requiring amendments to these Terms when the changes do not materially alter the parties' contractual rights or obligations.

Material changes to the Services or these Terms will be communicated as appropriate.

19. Disclaimer of Professional Advice

InQ provides software tools, not tax preparation, legal advice, accounting advice, financial advice, or professional representation through the Services.

Information, templates, workflows, calculations, notifications, or other software-generated results must be independently reviewed when appropriate.

Subscribers remain responsible for professional judgment, client advice, regulatory compliance, and their work product.

Nothing in the Services establishes a professional advisory relationship between InQ and a Subscriber's Client Users.

20. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," EXCEPT FOR EXPRESS WARRANTIES PROVIDED IN A SEPARATE WRITTEN AGREEMENT.

INQ DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

INQ DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SUITABLE FOR EVERY SUBSCRIBER'S PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS.

NOTHING IN THESE TERMS EXCLUDES WARRANTIES OR OBLIGATIONS THAT CANNOT LAWFULLY BE EXCLUDED.

21. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, INQ AND ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND REPRESENTATIVES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR LOSS OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, ARISING OUT OF THE SERVICES.

EXCEPT FOR LIABILITIES THAT CANNOT LAWFULLY BE LIMITED, INQ'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE SERVICES OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL SUBSCRIPTION FEES PAID BY THE SUBSCRIBER TO INQ DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

THESE LIMITATIONS APPLY REGARDLESS OF THE LEGAL THEORY ASSERTED, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW.

22. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Subscribers agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless InQ and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from third-party claims, damages, liabilities, and reasonable expenses arising from:

• The Subscriber's violation of these Terms.
• The Subscriber's unlawful or unauthorized use of Client Data.
• The Subscriber's failure to obtain legally required authorizations or consents.
• Professional services performed by the Subscriber.
• The Subscriber's violation of applicable laws or third-party rights.

This obligation does not apply to the extent a claim arises from InQ's own negligence, willful misconduct, breach of these Terms, or other conduct for which indemnification is prohibited by law.

23. Suspension and Termination

InQ may suspend or terminate access for material violations of these Terms, nonpayment, fraud, security threats, or unlawful activity.

Where reasonably practical and consistent with protecting the Services, InQ will provide notice and an opportunity to remedy violations before permanent termination.

Subscribers may terminate their Subscription according to the cancellation provisions.

Termination does not eliminate payment obligations or legal responsibilities incurred before termination.

Provisions relating to intellectual property, confidentiality, payment obligations, liability limitations, indemnification, dispute resolution, and other obligations that by their nature should survive will remain effective following termination.

24. Product-Specific Terms — InQ Check-In

InQ Check-In provides client-facing intake and administrative workflow tools, which may include check-in records, appointment or visit information, queue management, office statuses, and reporting.

Subscribers control how Check-In is configured and used within their businesses.

Check-in records, queue positions, estimated processing times, and workflow statuses are administrative tools and do not guarantee that services will be completed by a particular date or time.

Subscribers are responsible for ensuring that Client Users receive accurate information regarding appointments, document submissions, and professional service expectations.

Check-In analytics and operational reports are informational tools and may be affected by the accuracy and completeness of information entered into the system.

25. Product-Specific Terms — InQ Portal

InQ Portal facilitates client-facing communication and document management, including document uploads, organizers, proposals, agreements, electronic signatures, invoices, payments, and automated workflows.

Subscribers are responsible for the content and legal sufficiency of documents, proposals, engagement letters, consent forms, and other materials they create or distribute through Portal.

Client Users are responsible for the accuracy of information they submit.

Submitting documents through Portal does not automatically establish that a tax return is complete, accepted, filed, or approved by a government agency.

Subscribers remain responsible for reviewing submitted information, verifying required signatures, and determining whether filing and professional obligations have been satisfied.

InQ is not a party to professional engagements created or managed through Portal.

26. Product-Specific Terms — InQ Notices

InQ Notices provides tools for submitting, organizing, tracking, and managing correspondence and notices from tax authorities.

Notices may be submitted by Client Users or entered by Subscribers.

InQ Notices is not a tax representation service and does not independently respond to the IRS or state tax agencies on behalf of Subscribers or Client Users.

Subscribers remain responsible for reviewing tax notices, determining required actions, communicating with appropriate parties, and meeting applicable deadlines.

Statuses, reminders, and notifications within InQ Notices are administrative tools and do not constitute confirmation that a tax authority has received, accepted, processed, or resolved a response.

Subscribers and Client Users should not rely exclusively on InQ Notices for determining statutory or administrative deadlines.

27. Future Products and Additional Features

InQ may introduce additional products, applications, or services under the InQ brand.

Unless otherwise specified, these Terms apply to such offerings when made available under the InQ Services.

Additional product-specific terms may be introduced where necessary.

InQ may amend these Terms to address material changes in functionality, legal obligations, security practices, product offerings, or business operations.

28. Changes to These Terms

InQ may revise these Terms periodically.

When material revisions are made, InQ will provide notice through reasonable means, such as email, account notifications, or website announcements.

Unless otherwise stated, updated Terms will become effective on the date specified in the notice or revised agreement.

Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Where an updated agreement requires affirmative acceptance, InQ may request that users accept the revised Terms before continuing to access the Services.

29. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Missouri, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Unless otherwise required by applicable law or agreed in writing, legal proceedings arising from these Terms shall be brought in the appropriate state or federal courts serving the Kansas City, Missouri area.

Before initiating formal proceedings, the parties agree to make a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute through written notice and reasonable discussions.

Nothing in this section limits any right or remedy that cannot lawfully be waived.

30. General Provisions

Assignment. Subscribers may not assign their rights or obligations without InQ's prior written consent, except as otherwise required by law. InQ may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, corporate restructuring, or sale of substantially all relevant business assets.

Force Majeure. Neither party is responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond its reasonable control, except for payment obligations already due.

Severability. If a provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect to the extent permitted by law.

Waiver. Failure to enforce a provision does not constitute a waiver of the right to enforce it later.

Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with any applicable order, written product agreement, Privacy Policy, data processing agreement, and expressly incorporated supplemental terms, constitute the agreement governing use of the Services. In the event of an inconsistency, a separately negotiated written agreement signed by both parties controls over these standard Terms.

Electronic Communications. Users consent to receive contractual notices and communications electronically, subject to applicable law and any separate consent required for particular types of communications.

No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Except where expressly provided, these Terms do not create enforceable rights for persons who are not parties to the agreement.

31. Contact Information

Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to: