Document retention periods — invoices, tax & contracts
How long to keep business documents in India, UK, US, Australia, and Canada.
Disclaimer: This table is educational, not legal advice. Retention rules change — confirm with your accountant or local tax authority.
Retention table
| Document type | India | UK | US (federal) | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax invoices (GST/VAT) | 6 years | 6 years | 7 years (IRS common) | 5 years | 6 years |
| Expense receipts | 6 years | 6 years | 7 years | 5 years | 6 years |
| Payroll / payslips | 3–8 years | 3–6 years | 4+ years | 7 years | 6 years |
| Contracts (commercial) | Limitation period + buffer | 6 years post-expiry | State-dependent | 6 years | 2–6 years |
| Annual tax returns | 6 years | 6 years | 7 years | 5 years | 6 years |
| Bank statements | 8 years (recommended) | 6 years | 7 years | 7 years | 6 years |
Best practices for PDF archival
- Store invoices as PDF/A or standard PDF with embedded fonts.
- Back up to cloud storage with encryption; RatPDF deletes uploads after download — save your copy.
- File naming:
YYYY-MM-DD_ClientName_Invoice-001.pdf - Compress scanned receipts for storage but keep originals for disputed transactions.