Records Retention Guide   0082-01   ZZall

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                                      TO:  Interested Ministries                                                         FROM: Jim Bramer, Retired Auditor-CPA-Auditor
                                                                                                                                              FILE:  0082-01/all

                                       RE:  Records Retention Guide                                               Originated in 1982                                     

In my judgment, the following records should be retained for:

      Up to one (1) year (or until after the annual audit)

  • Check stubs
  • Deposit slips
  • Worksheets like that used for Bank Reconciliation

       Five (5) years-

  • Numbered donation receipts
  • Church Giving Envelopes
  • Bank Statements
  • Credit Card Statements
  • Canceled checks
  • Paid bills
  • Receiving records
  • Time cards
  • Purchase orders
  • Tax returns and related government papers
    • Payroll tax returns
    • Information returns
    • Sales tax returns
    • Income tax returns
  • Donor records and letters
  • Account receivable invoices
  • Sales contracts, information, etc.
  • Shipping records .... in or out
  • Personnel records
  • Personnel earnings records

                Ten (15) years or more

  • General ledgers, Subsidiary Ledgers and Journals (Books of original entry like cash receipts, cash disbursement, sales/donations, purchases, journal entries). 
  • Use microfiche, or make hard copy; as computer software/hardware changes so frequently making it potentially difficult to restore old file contents, etc. Many hard copy records are now scanned and stored for future use using www.adobe.com resources. 
  • Board minutes

                Permanently

  • Legal papers
  • Organization's Constitution and By-Laws 
  • Tax Exemption Papers
  • See reference to www.adobe.com  above.

Click Here   for access to a IRS publication along these lines.

       The bulk of this Publication originated in 1982 and was .   UPTD:  May 23, 2010  

ABOUT  US   |  OUR PURPOSE   |  TABLE OF CONTENTS   |  SEARCH  MATTERS  |  HELP DETAILS   |  FUND ACCTG VIA COMPUTERS   |  GLOSSARY