| Accident reports/claims (settled cases) |
 |
6 years |
| Accounts payable ledgers and schedules |
|
6 years |
| Accounts receivable ledgers and schedules |
|
6 years |
| Audit reports |
|
Permanently |
| Bank reconciliations |
|
2 years |
| Bank statements |
|
3 years |
| Capital stock and bond records: ledgers, transfer registers, stubs showing issues, record of interest coupons, options etc. |
|
Permanently |
| Cash books |
|
Permanently |
| Charts of accounts |
|
Permanently |
| Checks (canceled-see exception below) |
|
6 years |
| Checks (canceled 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, mortgages, notes, and leases (expired) |
|
6 years |
| Contracts, mortgages, notes, and leases (still in effect) |
|
Permanently |
| Correspondence (general) |
|
2 years |
| Correspondence (legal and important matters only) |
|
Permanently |
| Correspondence (routine) with customers and/or vendors |
|
2 years |
| Deeds, mortgages, and bills of sale |
|
Permanently |
| Depreciation schedules |
|
Permanently |
| Duplicate deposit slips |
|
2 years |
| Employment applications |
|
3 years |
| Expense analyses/expense distribution schedules |
|
6 years |
| Financial statements (year-end, other optional) |
|
Permanently |
| Garnishments |
|
6 years |
| General/private ledgers, year-end trial balance |
|
Permanently |
| Insurance policies (expired) |
|
3 years |
| Insurance records, current accident reports, claims, policies, etc. |
|
Permanently |
| Internal audit reports (longer retention periods may be desirable) |
|
3 years |
| Internal reports (miscellaneous) |
|
3 years |
| Inventories of products, materials, and supplies |
|
6 years |
| Invoices (to customers, from vendors) |
|
6 years |
| Journals |
|
Permanently |
| Magnetic tape and tab cards |
|
1 year |
| Minute books of directors, stockholders, bylaws, and charter |
|
Permanently |
| Notes receivable ledgers and schedules |
|
6 years |
| Option records (expired) |
|
6 years |
| Patents and related papers |
|
Permanently |
| Payroll records and summaries |
|
6 years |
| Personnel files (terminated) |
|
6 years |
| Petty cash vouchers |
|
3 years |
| Physical inventory tags |
|
3 years |
| Plant cost ledgers 6 years |
|
|
| Property appraisals by outside appraisers |
|
Permanently |
| Property records, including costs, depreciation reserves, year-end trial balances, depreciation schedules, blueprints, and plans |
|
Permanently |
| Purchase orders (except purchasing department copy) |
|
1 year |
| Purchase orders (purchasing department copy) |
|
6 years |
| Receiving sheets |
|
1 year |
| Retirement and pension records |
|
Permanently |
| Requisitions |
|
1 year |
| Sales commission reports |
|
3 years |
| Sales records |
|
6 years |
| Scrap and salvage records (inventories, sales, etc.) |
|
6 years |
| Stenographers' notebooks |
|
1 year |
| Stock and bond certificates (canceled) |
|
6 years |
| Stockroom withdrawal forms |
|
1 year |
| Subsidiary ledgers |
|
6 years |
| Tax returns and worksheets, revenue agents' reports and other documents relating to determination of income tax liability |
|
Permanently |
| Time books/cards |
|
6 years |
| Trademark registrations and copyrights |
|
Permanently |
| Training manuals |
|
Permanently |
| Union agreements |
|
Permanently |
| Voucher register and schedules |
|
6 years |
| Vouchers for payments to vendors employees, etc. (includes allowances and reimbursement of employees officers, etc., for travel and entertainment expenses) |
|
6 years |
| Withholding tax statements |
|
6 years |
