How long should you keep documents? A printable list

Printable list of how long to keep documents

This printable list shows how long to keep documents in the US, with who says so. To print it, use your browser's Print command: the page drops the menus and keeps the table. Most lines are guidance, so the last column says which is which.

Sources: the federal pages linked in each row, opened November 7, 2026. State rules can differ, and this is not tax or legal advice.

How long should you keep tax records?

The IRS says you must keep records that support your return until the period of limitations for that return runs out, in Publication 17. For most returns that is 3 years from the date you filed. Topic 305 adds that a return filed early counts as filed on the due date.

The period grows to 6 years if you omit income over 25% of the gross income on the return, and it has no limit if you file a fraudulent return or none at all. The IRS also says to keep copies of your returns as part of your tax records, without giving a separate period. The same periods apply to receipts you scan, and our guide on how to scan receipts for taxes lists what each one should show.

By that rule, and as a calculation of ours rather than an IRS statement, in November 2026 the 3-year window covers tax years 2023 to 2025 for returns filed by the due date. The 6-year window covers 2020 to 2025. The count ignores extensions, disaster postponements and signed waivers.

Do you have to keep records for 7 years?

No federal rule found says to keep everything for 7 years. In Topic 305, 7 years applies to one case: a claim for a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt deduction, counted from the date the return was due.

The habit has a reason. The FDIC notes that many tax advisors recommend about seven years, and the IRS says of audits that it usually does not go back more than the last six. Neither page makes seven a rule. It is too short for property and IRA records, and longer than the IRS default needs for routine ones.

Records to keep until you sell: home, investments, IRA

These records outlast the rest because the tax question comes at the end. Publication 552 says to keep property records until the period of limitations expires for the year you dispose of the property.

For a home, Publication 523 says that, in general, you should keep the records until 3 years after the due date of the return for the year you sold it. Publication 552 says they should show the purchase price, settlement or closing costs and the cost of any improvements. For a nondeductible IRA, the Form 8606 instructions say to keep the forms and records until all distributions are made.

How long should you keep bank statements and bills?

The FTC's 2025 list says a year for bank statements, pay stubs, and credit card and utility bills. The FTC gives no start date for that year, and this is advice, not a rule. The IRS treats statements as proof of payment, so one that supports a tax return follows the IRS periods.

The FTC's own pages differ. An older FTC guide says to shred card and utility bills right after paying, and both pages are still online. For a billing error, the deadline that matters is much shorter than a year: under Regulation Z your card issuer must receive your written notice within 60 days after it sent the first statement showing the error.

Your bank keeps its own records. The OCC says that a bank it regulates that does not return canceled checks must generally keep them, or copies, for five years, with exceptions for some checks of $100 or less, and the CFPB says state laws generally require seven. Both pages say a copy can cost a fee.

Medical bills, insurance and loans

The FTC says a year for undisputed medical bills, and to keep vital health records forever, especially those from before electronic records. If you deduct medical expenses, the bills are tax records and the tax periods above apply.

For insurance policies and claims, no federal page opened gives a term. Ready.gov notes that many policies have time limits on claims, so the policy itself is the place to look.

For a mortgage or a car loan, the FTC says to keep the documents while you own the asset. After payoff, the CFPB says state property records show whether the lien is released, and your lender should return the original note. Time limits on debt collection suits vary by state, usually 3 to 6 years.

What documents should you keep forever?

The FTC's keep-forever list includes birth or adoption papers, Social Security cards, valid passports and citizenship or residency papers, marriage licenses and divorce decrees, military records, death certificates of family members, wills, living wills, powers of attorney, and retirement and pension plans. This is advice. No federal page opened sets a legal duty to keep them.

What can you shred?

The FTC list of what to shred includes ATM receipts, offers of credit or insurance, cleared checks after 14 days, and expired warranties. It also says that when it is time to dispose of documents with personal or financial information, you should shred them.

Can a scan replace the paper?

The FTC does not mention scans. On its one-year and three-year lists it says that if you can access the documents electronically, you can consider shredding your paper copies. For tax records, the IRS is more careful. A 2026 IRS reminder suggests scanning records and keeping electronic copies, without saying a scan replaces the paper.

Publication 552 (2011) says all requirements for paper records also apply to electronic storage systems. Originals may be destroyed only if the system has been tested against IRS requirements and procedures keep it compliant, and a system that fails can bring penalties unless you kept the originals. It does not say whether a phone scan meets that test. No federal page opened says a scan replaces a birth certificate or a passport. Here, a scan is a copy you can find again, not a replacement for the paper.

How to keep this list working

A list only helps if you can find the paper it points to. PaginaScan is a document scanner for iPhone and iPad. Frame a page and it straightens it, suggests a name and a folder, and shows amounts and dates as cards. Dates can go on your calendar. No account.

The free version includes up to 3 folders of your own, and you can start with how to scan a document. Suggestions and cards need a device with Apple Intelligence.

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