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Training Tips

  Record Retention Recommendations
 
Need to know how long to hang onto that important document? Here is our list of documents and recommended retention periods.

Business documents are an important history of your businesses' transactions with customers, vendors, creditors, and employees. These records should be maintained and available to resolve questions that may arise in the future.

Your business records should be easily accessible to authorized personnel in your business. Your business records should be maintained in accordance with the below recommended periods. Certain circumstances involving pending or potential litigation may require an extention of time for record retention. Your legal counsel should be consulted prior to discarding documents that may be subject to an extended retention period.

Special retention requirements may apply to documents or information maintained on computer systems. The Internal Revenue Service has special computer retrieval requirements when business records are maintained on a computerized system. You should consult with your tax adviser reguarding any applicable IRS requirements.

Type of Record
Retention Period
Type of Record
Retention Period
Accident reports & claims
7 years
Accounts payable ledgers
7 years
Accounts recievable ledger
7 years
Audit reports
Permanent
Bank reconciliations
1 year
Bank statements
7 years
Canceled checks- important
Permanent
Canceled checks- other
7 years
Capital stock and bond records
Permanent
Cash books
Permanent
Charts of accounts
Permanent
Contracts & leases-expired
7 years
Contracts & leases in effect
Permanent
Correspondence-Customers & vendors
1 year
Correspondence-general
3 years
Correspondence-legal
Permanent
Deeds, mortgages and bills of sale
Permanent
Depreciation schedules
Permanent
Duplicate deposit slips
3 years
Employee personnel records after termination
3 years
Employee benefit plan records
7 years
Employment applications
3 years
Expense analysis & distribution schedules
7 years
Financial statements-year end
Permanent
Financial statements-other
7 years
General ledgers & trial balances-year end
Permanent
Inherited property records & valuations
Permanent
Insurance policies-expired
3 years
Insurance records
Permanent
Insurance audit reports
Permanent
Internal reports
3 years
Inventory records
7 years
Invoices to customers
7 years
Invoices from vendors
7 years
Journals
Permanent
Low-income housing records
7 years
Minute books of directors & stockholders
Permanent
Notes receivable ledgers
7 years
Option records
7 years
Payroll records
7 years
Petty cash vouchers
3 years
Physical inventory tags
3 years
Property appraisals
Permanent
Property records
Permanent
Purchase orders
7 years
Receiving sheets
3 years
Requisitions
1 year
Sales records
7 years
Savings bond records-employees
3 years
Scrap & salvage records
7 years
Stock room withdrawal forms
1 year
Subsidiary ledgers
7 years
Tax returns, worksheets & revenue agents' reports
Permanent
Time books
7 years
Trade mark regisrations
Permanent
Voucher registers
7 years

 
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