How long to keep tax records?
Discussion
I am PAYE and do a self assessment tax return every year.
How far back do I need to keep records? I just cannot work out from the HMRC site if it's 5 years, 7 years or what. Having a big spring clean right now so just want to get rid of all the crap that I not longer need.
Many thanks1
How far back do I need to keep records? I just cannot work out from the HMRC site if it's 5 years, 7 years or what. Having a big spring clean right now so just want to get rid of all the crap that I not longer need.
Many thanks1
Devilstreak said:
7 years basically.
PAYE rules are less stringent.As far as the employee is concerned, one year after the official final filing date for the relevant tax return. So, 2010/11 tax return would have a cut-off date of 31 January 2013.
For employers it is three years after the formal filing date for the relevant tax year of the employer's anula return (P35) and P11D.
If your self assessment tax return contains some other data that is pure self assessment, such as rental income and/or self employment or partnership income, or dividends from a limited company, then the longer retention period will apply.
Eric Mc said:
Devilstreak said:
7 years basically.
PAYE rules are less stringent.As far as the employee is concerned, one year after the official final filing date for the relevant tax return. So, 2010/11 tax return would have a cut-off date of 31 January 2013.
For employers it is three years after the formal filing date for the relevant tax year of the employer's anula return (P35) and P11D.
If your self assessment tax return contains some other data that is pure self assessment, such as rental income and/or self employment or partnership income, or dividends from a limited company, then the longer retention period will apply.
garyhun said:
Eric Mc said:
Devilstreak said:
7 years basically.
PAYE rules are less stringent.As far as the employee is concerned, one year after the official final filing date for the relevant tax return. So, 2010/11 tax return would have a cut-off date of 31 January 2013.
For employers it is three years after the formal filing date for the relevant tax year of the employer's anula return (P35) and P11D.
If your self assessment tax return contains some other data that is pure self assessment, such as rental income and/or self employment or partnership income, or dividends from a limited company, then the longer retention period will apply.
The one year limit would only apply if you were esesentially 100% salaried income only.
garyhun said:
Ok many thanks. So are you saying I need to keep everything from jan 2006 or is it another date?
It's all to do with tax returns and their statutory filing date.Say we are talking about the 2005/06 tax return. It's filing deadline date was 31 January 2007. Six years after that is 31 January 2013.
The eariest information for most 2005/06 self assessment tax returns would be income or costs dating from 6 April 2005. So you can see that a piece of data dated 6 April 2005 might need to be retained until 31 January 2013. Thats almost eight years, not six.
For sole traders these earliest dates can be even older, depending on the financial year end they use for their sole trader business accounts. For instance a sole trader with a financial year end of 30 June would have included his year ended 30 June 2005 accounts in his 2005/06 tax return. The earliest data on those 30 June 2005 accounts would be from 1 July 2004. Now you can see that he might have to retain a piece of indformation dated 1 July 2004 right through to 31 January 2013 - and be prosecuted if he failed to do so. That's a NINE years bretention of records.
Tax doesn't have to be taxing - but it is.
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