storage time for bills etc?

[leckert]

Does anyone know the recommended time for keeping old bills / payslips / tax returns / centrelink letters / etc?

We're looking at cleaning up our filing cabinet (rather full at the moment with bills and related stuff).

I have a vague idea of 7 years for most things in my head but I'm not sure that that's the right timeframe.

I'd like to shred some of the older documents so that I can have the space to file the last 2 - 3 years worth of paperwork that's been piling up on the filing cabinet in a basket that is now overflowing )

[Kimbles01]

I think tax returns up to 5 years?

[Sopdet]

I think it is 7 years, my tax agent has all of my tax stuff. Bills & statements I get electronically so don't actually have paper versions of them.

[MamaPan]

7 yrs for tax purposes - that's how long they can auit you for. its a paint o keep them - i paid a student to come and scan and fil by date electronically. then i keep one year in a filing box and do it once per year.

[Feijoa Mum]

Can you scan the not so important stuff (ie stuff not needing originals) and put it on a disk to free up some space??

[leckert]

Can you scan the not so important stuff (ie stuff not needing originals) and put it on a disk to free up some space??

I'm not sure what I don't need originals for and what I do - but I will probably shred the stuff that's over 7 years old and just keep filing the more recent stuff.
Will probably sort it so each year goes in it's own plastic pocket or two to make it a bit easier for shredding in later years and finding appropriate docs later

[MamaPan]

you should be ok with scans of most stuff

[peanutter]

I keep them all ...

... I have bank statements going back to the 80s ...

[leckert]

bank statements I'll probably keep but some of those electricity/gas/water bills are clogging up the filing cabinet (and the pay slips - fortnightly for the past 10 years give or take a few)

[Kimbles01]

I've told DH I'll be shredding all his bank statements older than 5 years.

[MamaPan]

if you have group cert you shouldnt need pay slips - and if you do they can def be electronic (I dont think I have ever had a paper one)

[leckert]

if you have group cert you shouldnt need pay slips - and if you do they can def be electronic (I dont think I have ever had a paper one)

So any paper copies of group certs I should keep and get rid of the old pay slips as well (after the 7 yr thing)?

[MamaPan]

i would personally get rid of the pay slips. and i'd keep the group certs (but ia ms ure a scanned one would be ok)