Tax Records – What You Should Keep And For How Long
Many taxpayers are confused about how long they should keep tax records. The term “tax records” refers to your tax returns and the documents that support the information in the returns. These documents can include receipts, bank statements, 1099s, etc. If you are one of the unlucky few to be audited, these records will be vital to fending off the IRS.
Tax Returns
To protect yourself from a nasty audit, you should keep all of your tax returns indefinitely. The IRS has been known to lose or misplace tax returns. While conspiracy advocates argue that this is evidence of a nefarious scheme, the simple fact is that the IRS receives millions of returns over a three-month period and lost returns are inevitable. So how do you protect yourself? You keep copies of every single tax return.
A quick word on the IRS e-file program. If you file your returns electronically, make sure you get copies from the company that filed your return. All such entities are required by law to provide you with paper copies.
Records Supporting Tax Returns
You should keep supporting tax records for a...