Affiliate Programme Terms & Conditions

1. Binding Agreement & Digital Signature

When you submit your affiliate application through the TaxEase UK website, you are required to type your full legal name in the designated "Digital Signature" field and tick the declaration checkbox. This action constitutes a legally binding electronic signature under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 (UK) and the Electronic Signatures Regulations 2002.

TaxEase UK records and stores the following data at the moment of signature: (a) your full name as typed, (b) your email address, (c) the date and time (UTC) of submission, (d) your IP address, (e) your browser user-agent string, and (f) the version number of these Terms accepted. This record constitutes conclusive evidence that you read and accepted these Terms.

You may not claim at any future point that you were unaware of, or did not agree to, these Terms. Your digital signature record is retained for a minimum of 7 years.

2. Eligibility

The TaxEase UK Affiliate Programme is open to individuals aged 18 or over and to registered businesses. By applying, you confirm that:

• You are legally authorised to enter into binding contracts in your country of residence.
• You will comply with all applicable laws regarding advertising, data protection (UK GDPR), and consumer protection.
• You will not use paid search ads (Google Ads, Bing Ads) targeting the keyword "TaxEase UK" or any variation thereof without prior written consent.
• You have disclosed your affiliate relationship to your audience where required by law (UK CAP Code, ASA guidelines, FTC rules if applicable).

3. Commission Structure — Level 1

You earn a commission of 10% of the net purchase amount for each completed sale made through your unique referral link or code. This applies to all TaxEase UK products, including individual licences (Premium, MTD) and B2B accountant subscriptions (Essential, Senior, Enterprise).

• Commissions are only earned on completed, non-refunded purchases.
• B2B subscriptions: If a customer you referred purchases a B2B accountant subscription, you earn 10% on each recurring monthly payment for the duration of the subscription.
• Accountant priority rule: If a customer you referred already has an active accountant referral code associated with their account, your commission will not be awarded for that transaction. This will be shown in your dashboard as "Client with accountant". This rule prevents double commission on the same sale.
• If a customer requests a full refund within 30 days of purchase, the associated commission is reversed.
• Self-referrals (purchasing through your own link) are strictly prohibited and will result in account suspension and forfeiture of all pending commissions.
• TaxEase UK reserves the right to adjust the commission rate with 14 days' advance email notice.

4. Two-Level Referral System (Level 2)

Level 1 (Direct): You earn 10% on each sale made through your own referral link (as described in Section 3).

Level 2 (Sub-Affiliate): If you recruit another person ("Sub-Affiliate") to join the TaxEase UK Affiliate Programme, and that Sub-Affiliate makes sales through their own link, you earn an additional 3% commission on each of their sales, credited to your account as affiliate credits (see Section 5).

• Level 2 commissions are credits only — they are applied against your own licence renewal, not paid as cash (unless otherwise stated in a future programme update).
• The system is limited to two levels. There are no Level 3 or deeper commissions.
• You may recruit Sub-Affiliates by sharing the affiliate programme page at taxeaseuk.com/affiliates. Sub-Affiliates must apply and be approved independently.
• You must disclose any material connection (including financial interest) when recommending the affiliate programme to others, as required by UK ASA guidelines.
• TaxEase UK reserves the right to modify or discontinue the Level 2 system at any time with 14 days' notice.

5. Credit System & Renewal Coupons

Level 2 commissions are accumulated as affiliate credits in your dashboard balance. These credits may be applied towards your annual TaxEase UK Premium licence renewal as follows:

• Credits are automatically displayed in your dashboard and applied at checkout when renewing your licence.
• Credits have no cash value and cannot be withdrawn, transferred, or exchanged for currency.
• Credits expire 24 months after they are earned if unused.
• In the event your affiliate account is terminated for cause, any unused credits are forfeited.
• TaxEase UK may, at its sole discretion, allow partial cash redemption of credits in future programme updates.

6. Cookie Tracking & Attribution

Your referral link is tracked via a 90-day cookie and browser storage. If a visitor clicks your referral link and makes a purchase within 90 days, you receive the commission. After 90 days, the tracking expires and no commission is earned. Both methods (cookie and local storage) are used to maximise tracking reliability across different browsers and privacy settings.

In the event of multiple affiliate referrals for the same customer, the last click wins (last-touch attribution). TaxEase UK's tracking system is the sole source of truth for commission attribution. Disputes based on external tracking tools will not be considered.

7. Payment Schedule & Minimum Payout

Commissions accumulate in your dashboard balance. Once your cash balance reaches £20.00, payment is sent automatically every Monday via Stripe to your registered bank account. Balances below £20.00 roll over to the following week(s) until the threshold is met. Affiliate credits (Level 2) do not count toward the £20 payout threshold and are applied only at renewal.

8. Permitted Representations

You may accurately describe TaxEase UK as:

• A guided Self Assessment preparation tool available in multiple languages.
• A step-by-step application that helps users organise their UK tax return information.
• A tool priced at £39/year for individual Premium access (at the current advertised price).
• An educational aid — the final submission to HMRC is made independently by the user.

9. Prohibited Conduct & Misrepresentation

The following are strictly prohibited and will result in immediate suspension and forfeiture of all pending commissions:

• Claiming that TaxEase UK submits tax returns to HMRC (it does not).
• Claiming "guaranteed tax refund", "guaranteed savings", or any specific financial outcome.
• Claiming TaxEase UK is "approved by HMRC" or endorsed by any UK government body.
• Advertising a price different from the current official price on taxeaseuk.com.
• Claiming TaxEase UK eliminates the need for a professional accountant.
• Using spam, unsolicited messages, or automated traffic to generate referrals.
• Creating fake reviews, testimonials, or screenshots of the product.
• Bidding on paid search terms that include "TaxEase UK" without prior written consent.
• Offering cash back, incentives, or rebates to customers as inducement to purchase through your link.

Any misrepresentation that results in a complaint, regulatory action, or reputational damage to TaxEase UK will be treated as a material breach of this agreement, and TaxEase UK may seek damages.

10. Content Pre-Approval

We strongly recommend submitting marketing content (scripts, video descriptions, social posts, emails) for review before publishing. Contact us at hello@taxeaseuk.com. While not mandatory, publishing content that violates these Terms may result in suspension regardless of whether pre-approval was sought.

11. Independent Contractor Status

You are an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, partner, or legal representative of TaxEase UK. You have no authority to make promises, modify terms, enter contracts, or accept liability on behalf of TaxEase UK. All content you create is your sole legal and financial responsibility.

12. No Guarantee of Earnings

TaxEase UK makes no guarantee of earnings. Commission income depends entirely on your own marketing efforts, audience size, and market conditions. Past performance of other affiliates is not indicative of future results. Any earnings examples provided are illustrative only and should not be relied upon as income projections.

13. TaxEase UK Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

• TaxEase UK is not liable for any loss of income, loss of data, or indirect/consequential damages arising from your participation in the affiliate programme.
• TaxEase UK is not liable for any technical issues, tracking errors, or payment delays attributable to third-party providers (including Stripe).
• TaxEase UK's total liability to any affiliate for any claim shall not exceed the total commissions paid to that affiliate in the 3 months preceding the claim.
• TaxEase UK is not responsible for any tax liability you incur as a result of affiliate income. You are solely responsible for reporting and paying taxes on commissions earned.

14. Affiliate Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless TaxEase UK Ltd, its directors, officers, and employees from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: (a) your breach of these Terms; (b) any content you publish promoting TaxEase UK; (c) any misrepresentation made by you to third parties; or (d) your violation of any applicable law or third-party rights.

15. Termination

TaxEase UK may suspend or terminate your affiliate account at any time, with or without notice, if these Terms are violated. Upon termination:

• Your referral link will be deactivated immediately.
• Commissions for valid, completed, non-refunded sales made before termination will be paid on the next scheduled payout, provided the minimum £20 threshold is met.
• Commissions from sales made after the termination date are forfeited.
• All accumulated affiliate credits are forfeited upon termination for cause.
• You may voluntarily withdraw from the programme at any time by emailing hello@taxeaseuk.com.

16. Changes to the Programme

TaxEase UK reserves the right to modify commission rates, payout schedules, the Level 2 system, the credit system, or any other programme terms at any time. You will be notified by email at least 14 days before material changes take effect. Continued participation in the programme after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

17. Self Assessment Access for Affiliates

Your affiliate account grants access to the affiliate dashboard only. It does not include access to the Self Assessment tool. To use TaxEase UK for your own tax return, you must purchase a separate individual Premium licence (£39/year). Each licence is tied to one individual's Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and cannot be shared.

18. GDPR & Data Processing

TaxEase UK processes your personal data (name, email, IP address, payment details) in accordance with our Privacy Policy and UK GDPR. By joining the programme, you consent to: (a) receiving programme-related emails; (b) the recording of your digital signature and acceptance timestamp; (c) the processing of commission payments via Stripe. Your data is not sold to third parties.

19. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed exclusively by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from or related to this agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.