In almost all cases, you can shred or throw away any documents such as W-2s, 1099s or other forms or receipts three years after you file your tax return. The IRS recommends keeping returns and other tax documents for three years (or two years from when you paid the tax, whichever is later.)

How do you keep old tax returns?

The best way to store hard copies of tax documents is in a fire-proof safe. Along with your tax records you can keep other important documents like the deed to your house, mortgage and insurance information, your will or trust documents, and passwords to bank and brokerage accounts.

How long must tax records be kept for?

5 years
How long to keep your records. You must keep your records for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline of the relevant tax year. HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) may check your records to make sure you’re paying the right amount of tax.

How long do you have to keep tax records?

How long to keep it You’ve likely heard that seven years is the perfect period to hold on to tax records, including returns. The actual time to keep records isn’t that simple, according to Steven Packer, CPA, in the Tax Accounting Group at Duane Morris.

Where can I keep all of my tax documents?

You can keep your tax documents in a fireproof safe or a bank’s safe deposit box. But to conserve space, consider scanning all of your tax-related documents and saving them to an external hard drive or on a cloud service. As long as you can reproduce the documents and they are legible, the IRS accepts electronic copies.

What kind of tax records do you need?

You should keep the W-2 and 1099 forms you get from employers, for example, as well as any 1099-B or 1099-INT tax documents from banks, brokerages and other investment firms. If you lost your job last year and received unemployment benefits from the government, be sure to keep your 1099-G form, which reports the amount you have received.

Do you have to keep unemployment tax records?

If you lost your job last year and received unemployment benefits from the government, be sure to keep your 1099-G form, which reports the amount you have received. The government is giving a tax exemption of up to $10,200 of unemployment income ($20,400 for married couples filing jointly) received in the 2020 tax year.