ACCOUNTING |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
Articles of Incorporation |
Permanent |
Audit Reports (Public) |
Permanent |
Accounts Payable Ledger |
7 years |
Accounts Receivable Aging Reports |
7 years |
Accounts Receivable Ledger |
7 years |
Accounts Receivable Invoices |
7 years |
Accounts Written Off |
7 years |
Authorization-Accounting |
5 years |
Balance Sheets |
Permanent |
Bank Reconciliations |
7 years |
Bank Statements |
7 years |
Bank Deposit Slips |
3 years |
Budgets |
3 years |
Canceled Checks |
10 years |
Canceled Dividend Checks |
Permanent |
Cash Book |
Permanent |
Cash Disbursement & Receipt Record |
Permanent |
Cash Sales Slips |
7 years |
Charge Slips |
7 years |
Charts of Accounts |
Permanent |
Check Register |
Permanent |
Expense Reports |
7 years |
Financial Statements |
Permanent |
General Ledger |
Permanent |
Investment-Sales/Purchases |
Permanent |
Journal Entries |
Permanent |
Petty Cash Records |
7 years |
Profit/Loss Statements |
Permanent |
Purchase Order |
7 years |
Subsidiary Ledger |
Permanent |
Trial Balance |
Permanent |
Vendor Invoices |
7 years |
Voucher Check Copies |
8 years |
Depreciation Schedules |
Permanent |
Fixed Assets Detail |
Permanent |
Payroll-Time Cards-Individual Time Reports-Earning Records |
3 years |
|
BUSINESS/CORPORATE RECORDS |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
Amendments |
Permanent |
|
Annual Reports |
Permanent |
|
Articles of Incorporation |
Permanent |
|
Audit Reports-Public |
Permanent |
|
Audit-Internal |
6 years |
|
Board of Directors-Committee |
Permanent |
|
Board of Directors-Minute Book |
Permanent |
|
Bylaws |
Permanent |
|
Capital Stock Certificates |
Permanent |
|
Capital Stock and Bonds Ledger |
Permanent |
|
Capital Stock Transactions |
Permanent |
|
Charter |
Permanent |
|
Checks-Taxes, Property, Settlements of Important Contracts |
Permanent |
|
Contracts and Agreements-Still in Effect |
Permanent |
|
Contracts-After Termination |
Permanent |
|
Contributions |
7 years |
|
Copyrights and Trademark Registrations |
Permanent |
|
Correspondence-Accounting |
5 years |
|
Correspondence-General |
Permanent |
|
Deeds and Easements |
Permanent |
|
Dividend Register and Cancelled Dividend Checks |
Permanent |
|
Election Records |
Permanent |
|
Financial Statements |
Permanent |
|
Labor Contracts |
Permanent |
|
Mortgages, Notes, and Lease Expired |
8 years |
|
Organizational Charts |
Permanent |
|
Partnership Agreement |
Permanent |
|
Patents |
Permanent |
|
Proxies |
Permanent |
|
Retirement and Pension Records |
Permanent |
|
Stock Transfer records |
Permanent |
|
Stockholders-Minute Book |
Permanent |
|
Tax Returns and Working Papers-Revenue Agents Reports |
Permanent |
|
CORRESPONDENCE |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
General |
2 years |
|
Legal and Tax |
Permanent |
|
License, Traffic, and Purchase |
6 years |
|
Production |
8 years |
|
FIXED ASSETS |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
Depreciation Schedule |
Permanent |
|
Inventory Records |
Permanent |
|
Plans and Blueprints |
Permanent |
|
Plant Cost ledger |
Permanent |
|
Property Appraisals |
Permanent |
|
Property Register |
Permanent |
|
Records for Property Subject to Depletion |
Permanent |
|
HEALTH INFORMATION |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
Diagnostic Images (such as x-ray films) |
5 years |
|
Disease Index |
10 years |
|
Fetal Heart Monitor Records |
10 years after infant reaches the age of majority |
|
Master Patient/Person Index |
Permanent |
|
Operative Index |
10 years |
|
Patient health/medical records (adults) |
10 years after the most recent encounter |
|
Patient health/medical records (minors) |
Age of majority plus statue of limitations |
|
Physician Index |
10 years |
|
Register of Births |
Permanent |
|
Register of Deaths |
Permanent |
|
Register of Surgical Procedures |
Permanent |
|
HUMAN RESOURCES |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
|
Accident Reports-Settled |
7 years |
|
|
Attendance Records |
7 years |
|
|
Contracts-Expired |
6 years |
|
|
Daily Time Reports |
6 years |
|
|
Dental Benefits |
5 years |
|
|
Disability Benefits-After Expiration/Settlement |
7 years |
|
|
Employee Medical History |
7 years |
|
|
Employment Application-Not Hired |
3 years |
|
|
Employment Application-Hired |
Permanent |
|
|
Family and Medical Leave |
3 years |
|
|
Garnishments |
5 years |
|
|
Life Insurance Benefits |
5 years |
|
|
Medical Benefits |
7 years |
|
|
Pension Plan Agreement |
Permanent |
|
|
Performance Record-After Termination |
7 years |
|
|
Personnel File-After Termination |
7 years |
|
|
Personnel File-Current Employees |
Permanent |
|
|
Profit Sharing Agreement |
Permanent |
|
|
Safety Reports |
5 years |
|
|
Sick Pay |
4 years |
|
|
Vacation Files |
4 years |
|
|
Withholding Tax Statement |
6 years |
|
|
Workers Compensation Benefits |
10 years |
|
|
INSURANCE |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
Accident Reports |
Permanent |
|
Automobile Insurance Claims |
Permanent |
|
Claims-After Settlement |
10 years |
|
Disability Insurance Claims-After Termination |
7 years |
|
Expired Insurance Policies |
10 years |
|
Fire Inspection Reports |
6 years |
|
Foreign Insurance Policies |
3 years |
|
INSURANCE |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
Group Disability Reports |
8 years |
|
Insurance Appraisals |
6 years |
|
Policies-All Types-Expired |
4 years |
|
Safety Reports/Records |
8 years |
|
LEGAL |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
Bill of Sale |
Permanent |
|
Business Permits |
Permanent |
|
Claims and Litigation (Torts and Breach of Contract) |
Permanent |
|
Contracts-Employees |
Permanent |
|
Contracts-Government |
Permanent |
|
Contracts-Labor Union |
Permanent |
|
Contracts-Special |
Permanent |
|
Copyrights |
Permanent |
|
Deeds/Titles |
Permanent |
|
Lawsuits (any documentation) |
7 years |
|
Leases/Canceled |
10 years |
|
Legal Documents (wills, powers of attorney, etc.) |
Permanent |
|
Legal Documents (old Versions) |
Throw Out |
|
Licenses |
Permanent |
|
Mortgages |
Permanent |
|
Notes Receivable-Canceled |
10 years |
|
Patents |
Permanent |
|
Stock and Bond record |
Permanent |
|
Trademarks-Registered |
Permanent |
|
PAYROLL |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
|
Contractors |
3 years from date of completion of contract |
|
Checks-Payroll |
7 years |
|
Commission Reports-Salesperson |
6 years |
|
Employee Withholding Exemption Certificates |
10 years |
|
Employee Tip Substantiation |
3 years |
|
Large food or Beverage Establishment Reporting Tips |
3 years |
|
Payroll Register |
4 years |
|
Payroll Records-After Termination |
10 years |
|
Salary history |
8 years |
|
Time Reports |
7 years |
|
Vacation/Sick Pay |
4 years |
|
W-2 Forms |
Permanent |
PURCHASING AND SALES |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
Purchase orders |
3 years |
Requisitions |
3 years |
Sales Contracts |
3 years |
Sales Invoices |
3 years |
SECURITY |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
Classified Material Violations |
Permanent |
Visitor Clearance |
2 years |
TAXATION |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
Tax Free Reorganization |
Permanent |
338 Election |
7 years |
Canceled Checks-Tax payments |
Permanent |
Correspondence-Tax |
Permanent |
Depreciation Schedules |
Permanent |
Income Tax Returns |
Permanent |
Inventory Reports |
Permanent |
FUTA/FICA/Income Tax Withholding |
4 years |
Payroll Tax Returns |
Permanent |
Revenue Agent Reports |
Permanent |
Sales Tax Returns |
Permanent |
NOL Company |
Permanent |
AMT NOL Company |
Permanent |
Transfer Pricing |
4 years |
TRAFFIC-SHIPPING AND RECEIVING |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
Export Declarations |
4 years |
Freight Bills |
4 years |
Manifests |
4 years |
Shipping and Receiving Reports |
4 years |
Waybills and Bills of Lading |
4 years |
MISCELLANEOUS |
RETENTION PERIOD |
|
Receiving Documents |
10 years |
Title Papers |
Permanent |
Vehicle Operating and Maintenance |
2 years |
Telecommunication Copies |
1 year |
Prepaid Dues Income |
4 years |
Financial Institution Loan Loss Reserves |
Permanent |
Mutual Savings Bank Bad Debt Reserve |
Permanent |