Shred One is offering free
shredding to give customers a
chance to experience the
benefits of document destruction.
Before destroying any records, it is advisable to confer with your CPA or tax advisor. The retention schedule is intended as a general guideline only.
| Accident reports/claims (settled cases) | 7 years |
| Accounts payable: invoices, ledgers, and schedules | 4 years |
| Actuarial reports | Permanently |
| Articles of incorporation | Permanently |
| Audit reports | Permanently |
| Bank reconciliations | 4 years |
| Bank statements | 4 years |
| Bills of lading | 3 years |
| Budgets - projections | 2 years |
| Bylaws | Permanently |
| Capital stock and bond records: ledgers, transfer registers, stubs coupons, options.. | Permanently |
| Cash books | Permanently |
| Chart of accounts | Permanently |
| Checks
(canceled - see exception below) |
4 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) |
4 years |
| Copyrights/trademarks | 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 |
| Directives - exclusive | Permanently |
| Duplicate deposit slips | 2 years |
| Employee
expense records |
3 years |
| Employment applications | 2 years |
| Expense analysis/expense distribution schedules | 4 years |
| Expense reports | 4 years |
| Financial statements (year end) | Permanently |
| Freight bills | 3 years |
| Garnishments | 7 years |
| General/private ledgers, year-end trial balance | Permanently |
| IRS determination/ approval letters | 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 | 4 years |
| Invoices for property | Permanently |
| Journals
- all types |
Permanently |
| Minute books of directors, stockholders, bylaws, and charter | Permanently |
| Notes receivable ledgers and schedules | 4 years |
| Note register | Permanently |
| Option records (expired) | 7 years |
| Patents and related papers | Permanently |
| Payroll records and summaries | 7 years |
| Pension/profit sharing plan/ trust documents | Permanently |
| Personnel files (terminated) | 7 years |
| Petty cash vouchers | 3 years |
| Plant cost ledgers | 4 years |
| Procedure records | Permanently |
| Property appraisals by outside appraisers | Permanently |
| Property records, including costs, depreciation reserves, year-end trial balances, depreciation schedules, blueprints, and plans | Permanently |
| Purchase invoices | 4 years |
| Purchase orders (except purchasing department copy) | 1 year |
| Purchase orders (purchasing department copy) | 4 years |
| Receiving
sheets |
1 year |
| Retirement and pension records | Permanently |
| Requisitions | 1 year |
| Sales Commission reports | 3 years |
| Sales invoices | 4 years |
| Sales records | 4 years |
| Scrap and salvage records (inventories, sales, etc.) | 4 years |
| Stenographers’ notebooks | 1 year |
| Stockroom withdrawal forms | 1 year |
| Subsidiary ledgers | 4 years |
| System records | 4 years |
| Tax
returns and worksheets, revenue agents’ reports, and other documents
relating to determination of income tax liability |
Permanently |
| Time books/cards | 7 years |
| Trademark registrations and copyrights | Permanently |
| Training manuals | Permanently |
| Union agreements | Permanently |
| Voucher register and schedules | 4 years |
| Vouchers for payments to vendors, employees, etc. (includes allowances and reimbursements) | 4 years |
| Withholding tax statements | 7 years |
Before destroying any records, it is advisable to confer with your CPA or tax advisor. The retention schedule is intended as a general guideline only.
