Browser storage notice

The beta does not use an analytics or advertising SDK. The storage below supports sign-in, security, requested HMRC functionality and a small number of interface preferences.

1. Authentication and security

Clerk uses cookies and related browser storage to sign you in, keep your session working and protect accounts. These are controlled by Clerk and are not removed by the preference-clear control.

2. HMRC integration

When you start an HMRC OAuth connection, a secure, HTTP-only, short-lived state cookie protects the callback and carries connection state. It is cleared after the callback or expires. Where HMRC fraud-prevention headers apply, the browser stores a persistent random device identifier so requests from the same device can be identified as HMRC requires.

3. Simple Self-Employed preferences

The browser may remember the selected tax year, whether an MTD information message has been dismissed, and in-progress onboarding state. Selected tax year and MTD-message choices use local storage; onboarding progress uses session storage and normally ends with the browser session.

These preferences do not contain imported transaction rows, tax calculations or authentication credentials. Clearing them may reset interface choices but does not delete server records or sign you out.

4. Consent position

We currently treat the authentication, security and requested-integration technologies as necessary, and the limited interface storage as functional. We therefore provide information rather than a generic accept/reject banner. This classification should be confirmed during professional privacy review.

5. Contact

Questions about browser storage can be sent to privacy@simpleselfemployed.co.uk.