SolvedVATREC3032 | How to treat requests for a concession: Minimum retention periods for certain types of record
From HM Revenue & Customs · VAT Traders’ Records Manual
Manual records:
| Number | Type of record | Minimum period of preservation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sales or service dockets (mainly used by large organisations especially those involved mainly in retail trading e.g. mail order houses). | No restriction |
| 2. | Copies of orders, delivery notes, dispatch notes, goods returned notes, invoices for expenses incurred by employees. | 1 year |
| 3. | Production records, stock records (except those for second hand schemes), job cards, appointment books, diaries, business letters. | 1 year |
| 4. | Import, export and delivery from warehouse documents. | 3 years |
| 5. | Daybooks, ledgers, cashbooks, second hand scheme stock books. | 3 years |
| 6. | Purchase invoices, copy sales invoices, credit notes, debit notes, authenticated receipts | 4 years |
| 7. | Daily gross takings records, records related to retail scheme calculations, catering estimates. | 4 years |
| 8. | Bank statements and paying in books, management accounts, annual accounts. | 5 years |
| 9. | Electronic Cash Registers (ECR) and Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) equipment | 4 years |
| 10. | Any record containing the VAT account | No concession |