How Long to Keep Receipts for Taxes (US, UK, Canada)
Short answer: in the US, the IRS generally says to keep records for 3 years from when you filed the return, with longer periods (6 years, 7 years or indefinitely) in specific situations. In the UK, self-employed people must keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January filing deadline for that tax year, and limited companies for 6 years from the end of the financial year. In Canada, the CRA generally requires 6 years from the end of the tax year the records relate to.
Those are the headline rules from each tax authority's own guidance, summarized below with the main exceptions. This is general information, not tax advice. Your situation may call for a longer period, so confirm with an accountant or the tax authority if you're unsure.
United States (IRS)
The IRS ties how long you keep records to the period of limitations, which is the window in which you can amend a return or the IRS can assess more tax. Its guidance ("How long should I keep records?") lists these periods:
| Situation | Keep records for |
|---|---|
| Most returns, none of the cases below apply | 3 years |
| You file a claim for credit or refund after filing | 3 years from filing, or 2 years from paying the tax, whichever is later |
| You claim a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt deduction | 7 years |
| You don't report income you should have, and it's more than 25% of the gross income on your return | 6 years |
| You don't file a return | Indefinitely |
| You file a fraudulent return | Indefinitely |
| Employment tax records (if you have employees) | At least 4 years after the tax is due or paid, whichever is later |
Two more points from the same IRS page are easy to miss:
- Property records (for example receipts for a building, equipment or major improvements) should generally be kept until the period of limitations expires for the year you dispose of the property. You need them to work out depreciation and the gain or loss when you sell.
- Non-tax reasons may require longer. The IRS notes that insurers or creditors may want records kept longer than it does.
In practice, many US small-business owners keep everything for at least 7 years so that every case in the table is covered except the "indefinitely" ones. That's a common habit, not an IRS rule. The 3-year baseline is the IRS's default.
State tax agencies can have their own rules, so check your state too.
United Kingdom (HMRC)
Self-employed (Self Assessment)
GOV.UK says you must keep your records for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline of the relevant tax year. Its example: if you sent your 2022 to 2023 return online by 31 January 2024, keep the records until at least the end of January 2029.
If you send a return more than 4 years after the deadline, GOV.UK says to keep the records for 15 months after you send it.
Limited companies
For companies, GOV.UK says records must be kept for 6 years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to, or longer in some cases, for example when:
- a transaction covers more than one accounting period
- the company has bought something it expects to last more than 6 years, such as equipment or machinery
- the Company Tax Return was sent late
- HMRC has started a compliance check
VAT-registered businesses have their own VAT record-keeping rules, so check HMRC's VAT guidance as well.
If records are lost or destroyed
GOV.UK says that if you can't replace lost records, you must do your best to provide figures, and tell HMRC when you file if you're using estimated or provisional figures.
Canada (CRA)
The Canada Revenue Agency says that, generally, you must keep all required records and supporting documents for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. For individuals the tax year is the calendar year, and for corporations it is the fiscal period.
Exceptions on the same CRA page include:
- If you file an income tax return late, keep records for six years from the date you file it.
- Some records, such as those with historical information affecting the sale, liquidation or wind-up of a business, must be kept indefinitely.
- The CRA can tell you to keep records longer than six years. It says an official will let you know in person or by registered mail.
- If you want to destroy records before the end of the retention period, the same page explains how to request permission from the CRA.
GST/HST records are also covered by a six-year period, but the CRA explains that the start point is worked out differently for them. Read the GST/HST part of that page if you're a registrant.
Other countries
Retention periods differ from country to country, and sometimes by type of business. Search your tax authority's site for "record keeping" or "how long to keep records". In Australia, for example, that's the ATO, and in Ireland it's Revenue. Use their current guidance, not a summary table, because these rules change.
Paper or digital?
How long you keep a receipt is one question. In what form is another. Many tax authorities accept digital copies if they're complete and legible, but the conditions vary by country. Some records may need to be kept in their original form. We cover this in what receipts to keep for taxes.
Whatever the form, a receipt kept for six years has to still be readable in year six. Thermal till receipts often fade long before then, so capture them early.
A practical retention routine
- One folder per tax year. Everything for 2026 goes in
Receipts/2026. When a year passes its retention period, you can review that folder as a whole. - Put the "keep until" date on each folder. For example
Receipts/2026 (keep until at least 2033). Work it out from your own country's rule and any exceptions that apply to you. - Keep asset receipts separately. Equipment, vehicles, property and improvements follow longer rules in the US, UK and Canada. Use an
Assetsfolder that never gets purged on the yearly cycle. - Keep a summary spreadsheet with the evidence. If you're ever asked about a year, the spreadsheet tells you what you claimed, and the folder holds the proof. Our guide to organizing receipts for taxes shows the full setup.
- Back up twice. A cloud drive plus an offline copy.
If the slow part is turning a pile of photos and PDFs into that summary spreadsheet, ReceiptBatch can batch-convert them into one Excel or CSV file with date, vendor, tax and total columns.
Before you shred anything
Even when the tax period has passed, check:
- Is the receipt for an asset you still own? Keep it.
- Is there an open warranty, insurance claim, loan application or dispute? Keep it.
- Did you file late, amend, or get a letter from the tax authority about that year? The clock may have restarted or be longer.
- Does your accountant keep copies? Ask before you assume.
When in doubt, keeping a digital copy costs very little.
FAQ
How long should I keep receipts for personal (non-business) taxes?
The same IRS, HMRC and CRA rules apply to the records behind any return. If a receipt supports a deduction or credit you claimed, keep it for the same period. Everyday personal receipts that don't support anything on a return aren't covered by tax retention rules at all.
Is 7 years a legal requirement in the US?
Not as a general rule. The IRS default is 3 years, with 6 years, 7 years or indefinite periods in specific situations. Seven years is a popular rule of thumb because it covers most of those cases.
Can I throw out paper receipts once I have scanned them?
Often yes, if the digital copy is complete and legible and meets your tax authority's conditions, but this varies by country and record type. Check your tax authority's guidance before destroying originals.
Does the period start from the receipt date?
No. It runs from when the return was filed (US), the filing deadline (UK self-employed), or the end of the tax year (Canada). A receipt from January 2026 is kept on the schedule for the 2026 return.