How Long to Keep Business Records in the UK (2026): Every Retention Period in One Place

Every small business eventually stares at a cupboard of box files and wonders what it can throw away. The answer depends on what the records are and who wants them: HMRC, Companies House, your pension regulator or a former employee. This guide brings every main UK retention period into one place for 2026, explains why the periods are what they are, and gives worked "keep until" dates so you can clear out safely. It's for sole traders, partnerships, limited companies and employers.

Quick answer

Sole traders: keep records at least 5 years after the 31 January filing deadline. Limited companies: 6 years from the end of the financial year. VAT: 6 years (10 years for OSS). Payroll: 3 years from the end of the tax year — but minimum wage and holiday records need 6 years.

• Keep records longer if HMRC has opened a check or a return was filed late

• Keep asset purchase records while you own the asset and beyond

• Digital copies are fine if they're complete and readable

• Failing to keep records can cost up to £3,000

• Delete personal data once you no longer need it

Why the retention periods exist

Record-keeping periods aren't arbitrary. They line up with how far back HMRC can go to correct your tax. Under its Compliance Handbook, the normal time limit for HMRC to assess tax is 4 years from the end of the tax period. That stretches to 6 years if an underpayment was caused by carelessness, 12 years for certain offshore matters, and 20 years if it was deliberate.

So the statutory periods — five years after the filing deadline for the self-employed, six years for companies and VAT — cover the normal and careless windows. If you know an old return contained a deliberate error, no retention rule protects you, and you should take professional advice rather than shred anything.

There's a second reason: you need records to defend yourself. If a customer disputes an invoice, a former employee claims unpaid wages, or you want to claim interest on a late payment going back several years, the business with the paperwork usually wins.

Retention periods at a glance

How long to keep UK business records (2026)

Record	Minimum period	Counted from
Sole trader and partnership records	5 years	31 January filing deadline for the tax year
Limited company records (HMRC)	6 years	End of the company's financial year
Company accounting records (Companies Act, private)	3 years	Date the records were made
Company accounting records (Companies Act, plc)	6 years	Date the records were made
VAT records	6 years	Generally from the period they relate to
VAT records under OSS/MOSS	10 years	Generally from the period they relate to
PAYE payroll records	3 years	End of the tax year
National Minimum Wage records	6 years	—
Holiday and holiday pay records	6 years	Required from 6 April 2026
CIS records	3 years	End of the tax year
Employment Allowance records	3 years after the end of the tax year	—
Automatic enrolment records	6 years (opt-outs 4 years)	—
Right to work check copies	2 years	End of employment

Sole trader and partnership records

Minimum period

5 years

Counted from

31 January filing deadline for the tax year

Limited company records (HMRC)

Minimum period

6 years

Counted from

End of the company's financial year

Company accounting records (Companies Act, private)

Minimum period

3 years

Counted from

Date the records were made

Company accounting records (Companies Act, plc)

Minimum period

6 years

Counted from

Date the records were made

VAT records

Minimum period

6 years

Counted from

Generally from the period they relate to

VAT records under OSS/MOSS

Minimum period

10 years

Counted from

Generally from the period they relate to

PAYE payroll records

Minimum period

3 years

Counted from

End of the tax year

National Minimum Wage records

Minimum period

6 years

Counted from

—

Holiday and holiday pay records

Minimum period

6 years

Counted from

Required from 6 April 2026

CIS records

Minimum period

3 years

Counted from

End of the tax year

Employment Allowance records

Minimum period

3 years after the end of the tax year

Counted from

—

Automatic enrolment records

Minimum period

6 years (opt-outs 4 years)

Counted from

—

Right to work check copies

Minimum period

2 years

Counted from

End of employment

Sole traders and partnerships

GOV.UK says you must keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline of the relevant tax year. Because the deadline is ten months after the tax year ends, the real period is close to six years from the end of the tax year.

Worked example. The 2025-26 tax year ran from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026. The online return is due by 31 January 2027. Add five years and you must keep the records until at least 31 January 2032. For the current 2026-27 tax year, the return is due by 31 January 2028, so those records must be kept until at least January 2033.

If you send a return more than four years after the deadline, keep the records for 15 months after you send the return. And if HMRC opens an enquiry into a return, keep everything relating to it until the enquiry is closed, even if the normal period has passed.

The records covered include every sales invoice and receipt, purchase receipts, bank and card statements, mileage logs, records of money taken out of the business, and, if you use traditional accounting, year-end debtors, creditors and stock figures. Partners in a partnership keep records for their own return; the nominated partner also keeps the partnership's records. Our guide to bookkeeping for small businesses lists what to record in the first place.

Personal tax records are shorter. If you're not self-employed and file on time, GOV.UK says keep records for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year. Many people who are both employed and self-employed simply keep everything for the longer business period.

Limited companies

Companies face two overlapping duties.

The tax rule. GOV.UK says a company must keep records for 6 years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to, or longer if:

• they show a transaction that covers more than one accounting period, such as a multi-year contract or a loan
• the company bought something it expects to last more than six years, like machinery or equipment
• the Company Tax Return was sent late
• HMRC has started a compliance check into the Company Tax Return

HMRC's Compliance Handbook puts the formal rule as the latest of the sixth anniversary of the end of the accounting period, the completion of any enquiry, and the date the enquiry window closes.

The Companies Act rule. Section 388 of the Companies Act 2006 requires a private company to keep its accounting records for 3 years from the date they're made, and a public company for 6 years. HMRC's manual points out the catch: a private company can only destroy records at the three-year point if it doesn't need them for its Company Tax Return — which in practice is almost never. Treat six years as the real minimum.

Company record periods compared

6 years

HMRC (Corporation Tax)

From the end of the financial year

3 years

Companies Act, private company

From the date the record is made

6 years

Companies Act, plc

From the date the record is made

Worked example. Brook Lane Bakery Ltd's financial year ended on 31 March 2026. It must keep that year's records until at least 31 March 2032. In the same year it bought an oven expected to last ten years and claimed capital allowances on it. Keep the oven's purchase invoice and finance agreement for as long as the company owns the oven, plus six years after the period in which it sells or scraps it, because the disposal affects the capital allowances calculation.

Statutory registers and records about the company itself — shareholders, resolutions and minutes, charges and debentures — are a separate obligation under company law and are generally kept for much longer, often for the life of the company. Check our Companies House filing guide and your company secretary's records before destroying any of them.

Failing to keep adequate accounting records can lead to an HMRC fine of up to £3,000, and directors can be disqualified.

VAT records

GOV.UK says you must keep VAT records for at least 6 years, rising to 10 years if you use the VAT One Stop Shop or used the Mini One Stop Shop. That covers copies of every sales invoice you issued, including ones you cancelled or produced by mistake, every purchase invoice, credit and debit notes, import and export documents, your VAT account and the digital records you keep under Making Tax Digital.

If you claim VAT bad debt relief, keep the bad debt account details for 4 years after the claim. VAT Notice 700/21 says HMRC may allow you to keep some records for a shorter period if the six-year rule causes serious storage problems or undue expense, but you must ask VAT general enquiries first.

Worked example. A business's VAT quarter ended 30 September 2026 and the return was due by 7 November 2026. Keep the invoices and VAT account for that quarter until at least late 2032. For more on what a valid invoice must show, see our guide to VAT invoice requirements.

Example keep-until dates

April 2029 (earliest)

Payroll records for 2025-26 (3 years) — but keep NMW and holiday records longer

31 January 2032

Sole trader records for 2025-26

31 March 2032

Company records for a year ending 31 March 2026

Late 2032

VAT records for quarters in 2026

2036

OSS VAT records for 2026

Payroll and employee records

Employers juggle several different periods, and the longest one usually wins.

PAYE. Records of what you pay employees and deduct, reports and payments to HMRC, leave and sickness absences, tax code notices and taxable expenses or benefits must be kept for 3 years from the end of the tax year they relate to. HMRC can estimate what you owe and charge a penalty of up to £3,000 if records aren't complete.

Minimum wage. Records proving you paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage must be kept for 6 years. Because pay records are what prove this, most employers keep payroll records for six years rather than three. See our National Minimum Wage guide.

Holiday. From 6 April 2026, employers must keep records showing they've given the correct holiday and holiday pay, for 6 years.

Right to work. Keep copies of right to work documents for the duration of employment and 2 years after it ends; see our guide to right to work checks.

Pensions. The Pensions Regulator says employers must keep most automatic enrolment records for at least 6 years, and opt-out notices for 4 years.

Construction. Contractors in the Construction Industry Scheme must keep records of payments to subcontractors, deductions and, where deductions were made, materials costs, for at least 3 years after the end of the tax year.

Personnel files are trickier. There's no single legal period for things like appraisals or disciplinary records, and data protection law says you mustn't keep personal data longer than you need it. Many employers keep core employment records for around six years after someone leaves, in line with their pay records, but whatever you choose, set a written policy you can justify.

Paper, scans and digital records

GOV.UK says there are no rules on how you must keep records: paper, digital files or bookkeeping software are all fine. What matters is that records are accurate, complete and readable, and that you can produce them when HMRC asks. HMRC can charge a penalty if they're not.

Scanning or photographing receipts and then shredding the paper is widely used and accepted, as long as the image shows the whole document clearly — supplier name, date, amounts and, for VAT, the VAT number. Practical tips:

• Scan at a resolution that keeps small print legible, and check a sample before you shred.
• Thermal till receipts fade within months, so capture them quickly.
• Store files in folders by year, and back them up somewhere separate from your laptop.
• If you change software, export a full copy of your data before cancelling the old subscription. Losing access to cloud records is not an excuse HMRC accepts.

If you're in Making Tax Digital for VAT or Income Tax, certain records must be kept in compatible software anyway. You still need to keep paper invoices and receipts where you have them, or a reliable digital copy.

When to keep records longer

Treat the minimum periods as minimums. Keep records longer when:

• HMRC has opened an enquiry or compliance check, until it's closed.
• You filed late. Late returns extend the period for both sole traders and companies.
• You own long-life assets. Keep purchase evidence while you own the asset and until the period covering its sale has passed, because it affects capital allowances or capital gains.
• Contracts are still live or disputed. Keep the contract and correspondence until any claim is over. The Small Business Commissioner's guidance says late payment interest can be claimed for up to 6 years; see our guide to late payment interest.
• You're selling or winding up the business. Buyers, liquidators and HMRC may all ask for history. Someone must hold the records after a company closes.

Before you shred or delete anything

0/6

• The minimum period for that record type has passed
• No HMRC enquiry, compliance check or appeal is open
• No late return extends the period
• The records don't relate to an asset you still own
• No customer, supplier or employee dispute is live or threatened
• Paper is shredded securely and digital copies deleted from backups too

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Lost or destroyed records

If records are lost, stolen or destroyed, do your best to recreate them. Ask your bank for statement copies and suppliers for duplicate invoices. Sole traders can use provisional figures (to be confirmed later) or estimated figures on a tax return, and must say so in the "any other information" box. Companies must tell their Corporation Tax office straight away and explain on the Company Tax Return. Expect interest and penalties if estimates turn out too low.

Common record-keeping mistakes

The most common mistake is applying one blanket rule to everything. "Six years" is a sensible default, but it's too short for a company with an open enquiry or long-life assets, and longer than you need for some personal data. Another is counting from the wrong date: sole trader periods run from the 31 January filing deadline, company periods from the end of the financial year, and payroll periods from the end of the tax year, so the same calendar year's papers can have three different destroy dates.

Businesses also forget records held by other people. Your accountant, payroll bureau, bank and software provider may hold the only copy of something you need, and their own retention policies won't necessarily match yours. Ask for a full export when you change provider. Finally, many owners keep perfect sales records but lose the purchase side: the receipts that support expense claims and VAT reclaims are exactly what an HMRC officer will ask for first, and without them the claim can be refused even if the cost was genuine.

Data protection: don't keep personal data forever

The UK GDPR's storage limitation principle says personal data must be kept for no longer than necessary. The ICO notes that keeping data to meet a legal requirement, such as tax record rules, is a valid reason. But "just in case" isn't. Once the retention period for records containing personal data has passed — employee files, customer details, CVs from unsuccessful applicants — delete or anonymise them. Setting out your periods in a short written retention policy helps on both counts. Shred paper securely and wipe old devices before disposal.

Official links

• Self-employed: how long to keep records5 years after 31 January
• Limited company: company and accounting records6 years and the exceptions
• Keeping VAT records6 years, 10 for OSS
• PAYE: keeping records3 years from end of tax year
• CIS record keeping3 years
• HMRC assessing time limits (CH53100)6, 12 and 20-year extended limits

What to do next

Write a one-page retention schedule using the table above, adding any industry-specific rules that apply to you. Then label every archive box or digital folder with a "destroy after" date and diarise an annual clear-out each February, once the January tax deadline has passed. Before shredding anything, check there's no open HMRC enquiry, dispute or asset that needs the paperwork. For keeping tomorrow's records in order, read our guide to bookkeeping for small businesses, and use the invoice generator and receipt generator so every document carries the details you'll need later.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

How long do sole traders need to keep records?

At least 5 years after the 31 January online filing deadline for the tax year. For the 2025-26 tax year, whose return is due by 31 January 2027, keep your records until at least the end of January 2032. If you file a return more than four years late, keep the records for 15 months after you send the return.

How long must a limited company keep its records?

For HMRC, 6 years from the end of the last financial year they relate to, and longer if a transaction spans several accounting periods, an asset is expected to last more than six years, the Company Tax Return was late or HMRC has opened a compliance check. The Companies Act 2006 minimum is 3 years for private companies, but tax law overrides it.

How long should I keep VAT records?

At least 6 years, or 10 years if you use the One Stop Shop or used the Mini One Stop Shop. That includes copies of every sales invoice you issued, even cancelled ones, purchase invoices, credit notes and your VAT account. HMRC may agree a shorter period if storage causes serious problems, but you must ask first.

How long do I keep payroll records?

PAYE records must be kept for 3 years from the end of the tax year they relate to. But minimum wage records and holiday records must be kept for 6 years, so in practice most employers keep pay records for six years. Right to work check copies are kept for 2 years after employment ends.

Can I keep digital copies and throw away paper receipts?

Generally yes. GOV.UK says there are no rules on how you keep records: paper, digital or software are all acceptable, provided records are accurate, complete and readable. Scans or photos must show the whole document clearly. If you're in Making Tax Digital, some records must be kept in compatible software anyway.

How far back can HMRC investigate?

Normally 4 years from the end of the tax period. That extends to 6 years if an error was careless and 20 years if it was deliberate, with 12 years for some offshore matters. Keeping records for the minimum periods protects you in the normal case; if you're unsure an old return was right, keep records longer.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 11 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Business records if you're self-employed: how long to keep your records — GOV.UK · accessed 11 October 2026
2. 2.Running a limited company: company and accounting records — GOV.UK · accessed 11 October 2026
3. 3.CH14600 — How long must records be retained for: Corporation tax — HMRC Compliance Handbook · accessed 11 October 2026
4. 4.Charge, reclaim and record VAT: keeping VAT records — GOV.UK · accessed 11 October 2026
5. 5.Record keeping (VAT Notice 700/21) — HMRC (GOV.UK) · accessed 11 October 2026
6. 6.PAYE and payroll for employers: keeping records — GOV.UK · accessed 11 October 2026
7. 7.What you must do as a CIS contractor: record keeping — GOV.UK · accessed 11 October 2026
8. 8.Keeping your pay and tax records — GOV.UK · accessed 11 October 2026
9. 9.CH52100 and CH53100 — Assessing time limits — HMRC Compliance Handbook · accessed 11 October 2026
10. 10.Automatic enrolment detailed guidance 9: keeping records — The Pensions Regulator · accessed 11 October 2026
11. 11.Storage limitation — Information Commissioner's Office · accessed 11 October 2026