Type of Record: | Retain: |
Accident reports and claims on settled cases | 7 Years |
Accounts payable ledgers and schedules | 7 Years |
Accounts receivable ledgers and schedules | 7 Years |
Audit reports of accountants | Permanently |
Bank reconciliations | 1 Year |
Capital stock issuance/transfer ledgers | Permanently |
Cash books | Permanently |
Chart of accounts | Permanently |
Checks (cancelled) – see exceptions below | 7 Years |
Checks (cancelled for important payments, i.e. taxes, purchases of property, special contracts, etc, checks should be filed with the papers pertaining to the underlying transaction) | Permanently |
Contracts and leases (expired) | 7 Years |
Contracts and leases still in effect | Permanently |
Correspondence (routine) with customers or vendor | 1 Year |
Correspondence (general) | 3 Years |
Correspondence (legal and important matters only) | Permanently |
Deeds, mortgages, and bills of sale | Permanently |
Deposit slips (duplicates) | 1 Year |
Depreciation schedules | Permanently |
Employee personnel records (after termination) | 3 Years |
Employment applications | 3 Years |
Expense analysis and distribution schedules | 7 Years |
Financial statements | Permanently |
General and private ledgers (and end-of-year trial balances) | Permanently |
Insurance policies (expired) | 3 Years |
Insurance records, policies and reports related to claims | Permanently |
Internal audit reports (in some situations, longer retention periods may be desirable) | 3 Years |
Inventory reports of products, materials and supplies | 7 Years |
Invoice to customers | 7 Years |
Invoice to vendors | 7 Years |
Minutes books of directors and stockholders including by-laws and charter | Permanently |
Notes receivable ledgers and schedules | 7 Years |
Payroll records, including pension payments | 7 Years |
Petty cash vouchers | 3 Years |
Physical inventory tags | 3 Years |
Property appraisals by outside appraisers | Permanently |
Property records including costs, depreciation reserves, end-of-year trial balances, depreciation schedules, blueprints and plans | Permanently |
Purchase orders (issued by purchasing dept) | 7 Years |
Receiving sheets | 1 Year |
Sales records | 7 Years |
Scraps and salvage records (inventories, sales, etc.) | 7 Years |
Stenographer’s notebook | 1 Year |
Stock and bond certificates (cancelled) | 7 Years |
Stockroom withdrawal forms | 1 Year |
Subsidiary ledgers | 7 Years |
Tax returns and worksheets, revenue agents’ reports and other documents relating to determination of income tax liability | Permanently |
Trade mark registrations | Permanently |
Voucher registers and vouchers for payments to vendors, employees, etc. (includes reimbursements to employees, officers, etc. for travel and entertainment expenses) | 7 Years |