| 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 reconciliation statements |
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,
etc. |
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 |
| Stenographersí
notebooks |
1 year |
| Stockroom withdrawal
forms |
1 year |
| Subsidiary ledgers |
4 years |
| System records |
4 years |
| Tax returns and worksheets, revenue
agentsí 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 |
