How Long Should You Keep Your Business Records?

If you didn’t report income when you should have, you’ll want to hold onto your records for six years. The IRS rule says that if the income you omitted is 25% or more of the gross income shown on your return, you’ll need to keep your tax returns and records for six years. You should also note that if you need to amend your tax return, there is a time limit on that as well.

You must keep your records as long as needed to prove the income or deductions on a tax return. The main reason to maintain business records is for tax and auditing purposes. Just how long do you need to keep your taxes, receipts, bank statements, and other important documents? Each type of document is different, so keep all of your paperwork long enough before you fire up the shredder, even if you think you’re done with them.

Be Tax Ready All Year Long

However, before making any business decision, you
should consult a professional who can advise you based on your
individual situation. Our best expert advice on how to grow your business — from attracting new customers to keeping existing customers happy and having the capital to do it. Your employer identification number (EIN) or tax ID Number is like a social security number. It can never how long do you need to keep business records be assigned to another business, and you should retain it permanently, even if you no longer operate your business. Depending on your business and the state where you’re located, you might have many types of HR records that fall under the jurisdiction of different government agencies. If you let this presorting stage get out of hand, you may really begin to struggle with paper clutter.

Your insurance company may require you to keep records for longer periods in case of a claim, and some creditors may require you to keep loan documents indefinitely. Maintain documents until you’ve confirmed any requirements with your creditors and insurers. You need to take special care to store and destroy employee records correctly. These records often include pre-employment background checks, work history and reviews, wage and hourly statements, health and safety inspections, and the reasons for separation from employment. A records retention schedule, backed by legal research, can give you specifics about what is safe to throw out and what you need to keep.

You’ll want to keep some records and documents longer than others. It all depends on the document and your business.

You can claim a deduction, if you can provide a complete copy of the lost or destroyed records – you can treat these records as the original from the time of the loss or destruction. If your records are accidentally lost or destroyed, you may be able to claim a deduction for certain expenses. For example, your records are stolen during a burglary or destroyed in a disaster. If you pay cash to a supplier and have no other documents to support your claim, you will not have sufficient evidence to claim a deduction. You can upload your records from the myDeductions tool and pre-fill your tax return in myTax.

There are also some record keeping exceptions available to make things simpler. In limited circumstances we may also grant relief from the effects of failing to keep records. The experts at Community Tax are here to help free up some time in your schedule for the stuff that’s really important to you and the longevity of your business. Managing a small business is not a profession for the faint-of-heart. From long hours at the office to crunching numbers and identifying opportunities for growth, to say your schedule is swamped would be an understatement. But as you know now, the penalties of not properly recording your company’s financial data are far worse.

Employment taxes

This information is useful for new healthcare providers, or to inform your treatment if you become unable to share your history. Some people wear medical bracelets to share this important information. For certain other groups, like older adults, it can be a good idea to list medical history, list of medications, and emergency contacts on the refrigerator or the back of the front door. Additionally, having up-to-date medical records can help you avoid billing errors. Sometimes mistakes are made and you might feel you are being asked to pay for something that you shouldn’t. Having accurate data on your treatments, insurance information, and billing history is very important to ensure you are only paying for exactly the treatment you receive.

For example, if you’re claiming a deduction for a business meal, you will need to include the following information along with your receipts and records. Expenses are costs other than purchases that your business may incur. Records of your commercial auto, errors and omissions (E&O), general liability, property coverage, umbrella liability, and medical malpractice (if applicable) insurance should be kept forever. These records can help you defend against claims or suits for compensation that occur long after your business closes. Records may include deeds, titles, or documents showing an asset’s purchase date and price, use, and sales date and price. Besides employee tax information, you should retain the personnel records for every person you employed.

But unless you’re auditioning to appear on an episode of Hoarders, you should probably go paperless and store everything electronically. Plus, if you opt for online software, your business records will be in the cloud rather than a pile on your desk. And if your accounting software lets you do things like accept credit card payments, create invoices, and import bank transactions, your records will be in one location with minimal effort. One of the benefits of keeping electronic records is that you don’t have to store piles of receipts in a filing cabinet. Archive your old records so that you can access them years into the future, anytime you need. When you start your business, you should set up a business checking account.

• Any business deduction on your tax return can be questioned during an audit—even expenses under $75.
• You may need to provide us a copy of the records if we review a tax return you lodge.
• For instance, you may need taxes and brokerage financial statements from previous years if you’re meeting with a financial adviser.
• Some people wear medical bracelets to share this important information.
• In fact, you can be downright inundated with records… from tax returns and expense receipts to invoices, cancelled checks, payroll records, bank statements, meeting minutes—the list goes on.