Last Updated On 8th July 2025. This guide will address how an accountant data breach could occur and when you may be able to claim. Your accountant may need to collect various types of personal data in order to fulfil their role. The exposure of such data could have an impact on your finances and have an impact on you psychologically.
We will provide information on what to do following a data breach. This guide will also outline the data breach claim process and the different heads of claim you could receive if your claim is a success.
If you have any questions about how to claim data breach compensation, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If one of our advisors thinks you have a valid claim, you could be connected with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.
You can get in touch for free advice by:
- Calling 0800 073 8804
- Using our online contact form
- Speaking to an advisor using the live chat feature on this page
Select A Section
- What Is An Accountant Data Breach?
- What Financial Data Could An Accountant Hold?
- How Accountancy Data Breaches Could Happen
- What Are The Risks Of Accountancy Data Breaches?
- Accountant Data Breach Compensation Calculator
- Find Out More About Accountant Data Breach Claims
What Is An Accountant Data Breach?
A data breach is a security incident in which confidential and sensitive data is compromised by an unauthorised person. The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) follows the framework outlined in the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and sets out how organisations should control and process your data.
Article 4 of the UK GDPR defines personal data as information that may be used to identify a natural person. This can either be information that is used to identify you on its own or when combined with other information.
Speak to an advisor to find out whether you could be eligible to claim for damage sustained after an accountant data breach. They could connect you to our experienced data breach solicitors.
What Financial Data Could An Accountant Hold?
As mentioned above, accountants may handle special categories of data, including financial data. Special category data requires more protection due to its sensitive nature.
In terms of what personal information and financial data an accountant may hold, take a look at the list below:
- Scans of ID documentation
- Contact details, such as phone number and email
- National Insurance Number
- Tax records
- Salary information
- P60s and other tax forms
If you have further questions on what information could be involved in an accountant data breach, our team of advisors are here to help. They can offer you free legal advice about your eligibility to claim.
How Accountancy Data Breaches Could Happen
An accountant data breach can result from a variety of situations, as all organisations have to follow strict procedures to ensure that they are handling personal data in accordance with the law.
The main types of data breach are:
- Cyber- this involves breaches that happen in the digital sphere due to the malicious actions of a third party
- Non-cyber- a breach that does not involve a technological element, nor does it include a malicious actor
- Human error- these data breaches can be digital or non-digital and result from accidents
Examples of valid accountant data breach claims include:
- An accountancy firm fails to implement the recommended updates to their online security systems. As a result, a cyber criminal gains access to their digital data base and steals your personal data. This causes you to suffer from anxiety as you worry that your accounts will be hacked
- A receptionist at an accountancy firm misplaces a physical copy of your details. This is permanently lost, exacerbating your pre-existing condition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder( PTSD)
- Your accountant sends an email containing your full name and address to the wrong email address, despite you providing them with your correct email address. You have to take time off work in order to deal with the anxiety that this causes you.
This is not an exhaustive list of accountant data breach claims, so get in touch with an advisor to discuss further examples or assess your specific case.
What Are The Risks Of Accountancy Data Breaches?
An accountant data breach presents a risk of the disclosure of sensitive information such as financial data. If financial data is stolen, hackers may coerce money from you or could even make fraudulent transactions. Furthermore, cybercriminals may use personal information obtained from a data breach to pose as an organisation. This is known as a phishing attack, and you could be tricked into giving them even more personal data.
Another risk of a data breach could be identity theft. When your financial data is stolen, it may be sold on the dark web. If this information is combined with other personal data that is lost or stolen, criminals could build an online profile of you. This could lead to future issues, including a long-term impact on your credit score. In turn, this could cause you significant stress.
Additionally, you must be able to prove that the data breach happened because of the failure of the organisation in order to make a claim. If an accountancy firm did its best to protect your personal data, but a breach occurred despite this, you would not be eligible to claim. Call our team for more information.
Accountant Data Breach Compensation Calculator
You may claim for material damage following an accountant data breach. Material damages account for financial costs you have endured because of the incident. However, it is important that you provide evidence for material damages. An example of this could be if, in the event of a data breach, you had to take time off work. To prove your loss of earnings during this time it would be useful to retain wage slips.
Additionally, it is possible to claim for psychological injuries caused by a data breach without having incurred any financial losses. In the Court of Appeal case, Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc (2015), it was ruled that claimants are allowed to seek non-material damages for any injury that was the result of a data breach.
A separate case, Gulati & Others v MGN Limited (2015), held that the settlement for psychiatric harm can be valued in line with figures used in personal injury claims. For this reason, we’ve included figures from the Judicial College Guidelines in the table below to give you an idea of the bracket compensation amounts outlined for psychiatric issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Please be aware that the figure in the first row was not taken from these guidelines.
| Injury | Severity | guideline amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Injuries with Financial Losses | Severe | Up to £250,000+ | Multiple injuries with the associated costs, such as lost income |
| General Psychiatric Damage | Severe | £66,920 to £141,240 | Aspects of your life, including your ability to sleep and work, are likely to be affected. |
| General Psychiatric Damage | Moderate | £7,150 to £23,270 | There will be a marked improvement and the prognosis is relatively optimistic. |
| General Psychiatric Damage | Less Severe | £1,880 to £7,150 | There will be an impact on daily activities and sleeping. |
| Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Severe | £73,050 to £122,850 | All aspects of your life are affected, including your ability to work. |
| Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Moderate | £9,980 to £28,250 | A recovery is likely to be made while ongoing effects will not be grossly disabling. |
| Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Less Severe | £4,820 to £9,980 | Symptoms may persist however a full recovery is likely to be made within two years. |
Please note that you should only use the bracket figures as a guide because the actual payout you receive will depend on several factors unique to your case.
For free legal advice on the data breach claims process, you may wish to speak with an advisor; if you have a valid case, you could be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor. Look at our reviews to see how we’ve helped other satisfied claimants.
Find Out More About Accountant Data Breach Claims
An accountant data breach could leave you out of pocket, particularly if you have had financial data stolen. Consequently, you may not be able to pay upfront fees or ongoing costs to a solicitor to work on your claim. However, you may recognise the benefits of working with a solicitor and wish to do so.
If this is the case for you, a No Win No Fee agreement could be an alternative solution to funding legal representation.
No Win No Fee solicitors do not require a fee upfront, nor do they require any payments if your claim is unsuccessful. Solicitors will take a legally-capped fee from your compensation if your claim is successful.
Our team may connect you to our solicitors if they think you have a strong enough claim. You can get in touch by:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Filling out our online contact us form
- Use the live chat feature on your screen
Data Breaches Involving Financial Data
Below are some more resources where you can find out more about data breaches involving financial data.
Cyber Security Breaches Survey – Find all previous government surveys on cyber security breaches.
Data Security Incident Trends – Security incident trends as recorded by the ICO.
If you have found this guide useful, you may also be interested in reading some more of our articles.
How To Report A Data Breach – What steps you can take to report a data security incident.
My Personal Data Has Been Lost – Find out how much compensation you could be entitled to if a company has lost your personal data.
Data Breach Compensation Claims – A guide to data breaches and making a claim.
We hope you have found this guide useful. If you have further questions on what to do in an accountant data breach, please contact us for free legal advice using the above details.
