| Accounts
payable: invoices, ledgers, and schedules |
7
years |
| Accounts
receivable ledgers and related trial balances |
7
years |
|
Actuarial reports |
Permanent |
| Articles
of incorporation |
Permanent |
|
Audit reports |
Permanent |
|
Bank reconciliations |
7
years |
|
Bank statements |
7
years |
|
Bills of lading |
3
years |
|
Budgets - projections |
2
years |
|
Bylaws |
Permanent |
|
Capital stock and bond
records: ledgers, transfer
registers, stubs coupons, options, etc. |
Permanent |
|
Cash books |
Permanent |
|
Chart of accounts |
Permanent |
|
Checks (canceled - see
exception below) |
7
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) |
Permanent |
|
Contracts, mortgages,
notes and leases (expired) |
7
years |
|
Copyrights/trademarks |
Permanent |
|
Correspondence (general) |
3
years |
|
Correspondence (legal and
important matters only ) |
Permanent |
|
Correspondence (routine)
with customers and/or vendors |
2
years |
|
Deeds, mortgages, and
bills of sale |
Permanent |
|
Depreciation schedules |
Permanent |
|
Directives - exclusive |
Permanent |
|
Duplicate deposit slips |
7
years |
|
Employee expense records |
3
years |
|
Employment applications |
3
years |
|
Expense analysis/expense
distribution schedules |
7
years |
|
Expense reports |
4
years |
|
Financial statements (year
end) |
Permanent |
|
Freight bills |
3
years |
|
Garnishments |
7
years |
|
General/private ledgers,
year-end trial balance |
Permanent |
|
IRS determination/
approval letters |
Permanent |
|
Insurance policies
(expired) |
4
years |
|
Insurance records, current
accident reports, claims,
policies, etc. |
Permanent |
|
Internal audit reports
(longer retention periods may be
desirable) |
3
years |
|
Internal reports
(miscellaneous) |
3
years |
|
Inventories of products,
materials and supplies |
7
years |
|
Invoices for property |
Permanent |
|
Journals - all types |
Permanent |
|
Minute books of directors,
stockholders, bylaws, and
charter |
Permanent |
|
Notes receivable ledgers
and schedules |
7
years |
|
Note register |
Permanent |
|
Option records (expired) |
7
years |
|
Patents and related papers |
Permanent |
|
Payroll records and
summaries |
7
years |
|
Pension/profit sharing
plan/ trust documents |
Permanent |
|
Personnel files
(terminated) |
7
years |
|
Petty cash vouchers |
3
years |
|
Plant cost ledgers |
4
years |
|
Procedure records |
Permanent |
|
Property appraisals by
outside appraisers |
Permanent |
|
Property records,
including costs, depreciation
reserves, year-end trial balances, depreciation schedules, blueprints,
and plans |
Permanent |
|
Purchase invoices |
4
years |
|
Purchase orders (except
purchasing department copy) |
1
year |
|
Purchase orders
(purchasing department copy) |
7
years |
|
Receiving sheets |
1
year |
|
Retirement and pension
records |
Permanent |
|
Requisitions |
1
year |
|
Sales Commission reports |
3
years |
|
Sales invoices |
4
years |
|
Sales records |
7
years |
|
Scrap and salvage records
(inventories, sales, etc.) |
7
years |
|
Stenographers’ notebooks |
1
year |
|
Stockroom withdrawal forms |
1
year |
|
Subsidiary ledgers |
7
years |
|
System records |
4
years |
|
Tax returns and
worksheets, revenue agents’ reports, and
other documents relating to determination of income tax liability |
Permanent |
|
Time books/cards |
7
years |
|
Trademark registrations
and copyrights |
Permanent |
|
Training manuals |
Permanent |
|
Union agreements |
Permanent |
|
Voucher register and
schedules |
7
years |
|
Vouchers for payments to
vendors, employees, etc.
(includes allowances and reimbursements) |
4
years |
|
Withholding tax statements |
7
years |
