Which papers to keep, and for how long

Tax records are kept until the period of limitations for that return runs out. The periods below apply to returns such as your 2025 return.

How long to keep tax records

• 3 years from filing, in most cases.
• 6 years if you did not report income that is more than 25 percent of the gross income shown on the return.
• Indefinitely if you did not file a return or filed a fraudulent one.
• At least 4 years for employment tax records, after the tax is due or paid, whichever is later.

Keep a copy of each filed return too. Old returns help with the next one.

Records for a house

Records about property are kept until the period of limitations expires for the year you sell or otherwise dispose of it. Keep the purchase papers and the receipts for improvements while you own the house, and through the period after the sale.

When the tax period is over

An insurer or a lender can require you to keep a record longer than the tax period. Before you throw a paper out, check whether a policy or a loan still needs it.

Where to keep them

Keep the papers where you can find them in a hurry and where a flood or a fire won't reach them. A safe deposit box, an external drive and a cloud account all work. Insurance policies, tax statements and records of housing payments belong with your emergency papers.

Scan each paper and file the scans in folders named like the paper ones. Name each scan with its date and what it is, such as the return's year or the invoice's job.

An annotated example

What to do next

Sort what you have into two files: records for a single tax year, and records for the house. The first follows the yearly periods above, and the second follows the property rule.

Warranties, insurance policies and appliance manuals have no tax period. A warranty or a policy states how long it runs.