We Don't Want Your
Private Keys.
TaxFormatter never asks for exchange API keys, wallet access, or seed phrases — you upload the export your exchange or bank already gives you. Files are processed in memory, stored encrypted, andeverything you send us is deleted within 30 days. The only credential involved is the developer key we issue to you, shown once and stored as aSHA-256 hash.
Nothing Kept Past 30 Days
Everything you send us — uploaded files, outputs, and parsed data — is deleted within30 days. Delete it sooner anytime from your dashboard. API calls go further — they're processed in memory and never stored at all.
Encrypted at Rest and in Transit
Files are encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit. Objects are never stored unencrypted, and the keys are managed by AWS, not kept alongside the data.
API & MCP Hardened
Developer keys are SHA-256 hashed at rest. Payloads are never logged — only metadata (key hash, status, byte count, timing). MCP server traffic inherits the same guarantees.
We Don't Sell Data
Our business model is boring: you pay us to format files.We don't sell order flow, holdings info, or personal data to hedge funds or advertisers.
The Lifecycle of Your File
Most tax software holds your data forever to "track your portfolio." We're a formatting utility — dashboard, API, or MCP, you control how long we keep your files.
Upload & Encrypt
CSV travels via TLS 1.3 and is immediately encrypted with a unique key upon hitting our bucket.
In-Memory Processing
Our engine spins up an isolated container. Processing happens in RAM (volatile memory), limiting disk exposure.
API & MCP Path
REST and MCP calls are fully stateless: your payload never hits disk. We log metadata only (key hash, status, bytes, timing) — never file contents.
You Decide
Dashboard files, outputs, and parsed data are deleted within 30 days — sooner when you delete them. Only anonymized processing metadata (source detected, row count, timing, error type) is kept.
WARNING: NON-CUSTODIAL SERVICE.
We cannot recover your files once they are deleted. Please save your outputs immediately.
Security FAQ
Common questions about our paranoia.
Do you store my exchange API keys?
No. TaxFormatter works exclusively with file uploads (CSV, PDF). We never ask for, store, or use exchange API keys, secret keys, or wallet credentials.
How are my developer API keys protected?
Your tf_live_ keys are SHA-256 hashed at rest — we can never recover the plaintext. Keys are transmitted only over TLS 1.3. Rate limits and monthly quotas are enforced per key, and you can rotate or revoke any key instantly from the developer dashboard.
What does the API actually log?
Metadata only: a hash of your API key, request status, byte size, processing time, and timestamp. We never log file contents, parsed transactions, or request/response bodies. The API Lambda processes your payload in RAM and discards it when the request ends.
Is the MCP server safe to run locally?
Yes. @taxformatter/mcp-server is an open-source npm package — the source is public and auditable. It makes outbound HTTPS calls to api.taxformatter.com using your API key and has no disk, network, or system access beyond that.
Can your employees see my files?
Our processing is automated. Engineers have access to system logs (metadata only — never payloads) for debugging and incident response. We do not inspect individual user files unless you explicitly request it via a support ticket.
What if the government requests my data?
Everything you send us is deleted within 30 days — sooner if you delete it from your dashboard. API payloads are never stored. If served with a valid legal request, we can only provide what exists at that moment: at most 30 days of dashboard files, and for API traffic only anonymized metadata.
Is the code open source?
Our SDKs (@taxformatter/sdk, taxformatter for Python) and the MCP server are open source. The core parsing engine is proprietary, but we're happy to share architectural documentation with enterprise clients performing due diligence.
Do you support SOC 2 or enterprise due diligence?
We run on AWS with API Gateway throttling, IAM least-privilege, encrypted storage, and CloudWatch audit logs. Reach out to support@taxformatter.com for our security questionnaire and architecture deep dive.
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