Tax Records to Keep and How Long to Keep Them

By: Ann-Marie Murphy on March 8, 2010

Filed in: Taxes

April is fast-approaching and with it, tax time. While tax preparation seems to get a little bit easier each year with the prevalence of online tax prep software, there’s still one question that leaves many Americans scratching their heads: What records should I hang onto for tax purposes and how long should I keep them?

There are a few basic records that everyone should keep, according to the IRS, including documents that provide evidence of your income and expenses. In addition, if you own a home or have investments, the IRS recommends that you hang onto related records. Here’s the breakdown:

Basic Records to Keep

For items concerning your…	Keep as basic records…
Income	Form(s) W-2 Form(s) 1099 Bank statements Brokerage statements Form(s) K-1
Expenses	Sales slips Invoices Receipts Canceled checks or other proof of payment Written communications from qualified charities
Home	Closing statements Purchase and sales invoices Proof of payment Insurance records Receipts for improvement costs
Investments	Brokerage statements Mutual fund statements Form(s) 1099 Form(s) 2439

Now that you know what to keep, here’s the low-down on how long to keep them (also known as the “period of limitations”):

How Long to Keep Records*

	If you…	Then the period is…
1	Owe additional tax and (2), (3) and (4) below do not apply to you	3 years
2	Do not report income that you should and it’s more than 25 percent of the gross income shown on your return	6 years
3	File a fraudulent return	Indefinite
4	Do not file a return	Indefinite
5	File a claim for credit or refund after you filed your return	3 years or 2 years after you paid taxes, whichever is later
6	File a claim for a loss from worthless securities	7 years

*Unless otherwise noted, the number of years you should keep records refers to the time period beginning after you filed your return. If you filed your return before the deadline, the IRS treats it as if you filed it on the deadline.

For more details about which records you should keep for tax purposes, the IRS has put together a handy publication on Recordkeeping for Individuals.

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