Learn which documents you should keep and which files you can destroy.
Corporate document destruction is important to protect sensitive information, but it can be difficult to know what files to destroy and what to keep. You may also have records from many years ago, and are unsure when it is an appropriate time to get rid of them. If you have any of these questions, continue reading our document destruction guide for all the answers!
Documents To Store Forever
There are a number of crucial documents that companies should keep permanently in a safe and secure location. These documents include audit reports, bylaws, cash books, copyrights/trademarks, financial year-end statements, IRS determination or approval letter, insurance records, property records, tax returns, training manuals, union agreements, and more. These files are crucial for companies to store in a safe location- but it is smart to make digital copies of all these records. Paper documents are much easier to lose or end up in the wrong hands, and have a high chance of being destroyed in a building fire or flood.
What To Shred After Year
There are a few types of documents that you do not need to store for a long time, and can be destroyed after one year. If you are cleaning out your desk or file cabinet of files that are over one year old, the following records should be shredded: purchase orders, receiving sheets, stenographers notebooks, and stockroom withdrawal forms.
What To Shred After A Few Years
In between documents to shred and files to keep forever, there is the category of documents to keep for a few years. These files may need to spend some extra time in your file cabinets in case of an emergency, but once two or three years have passed, they are no longer required. For example, you can destroy budget projections, duplicate deposit slips, and employment applications after two years. After three or four years, clear out employee expense records, freight/shipping bills, accounts payable, bank statements, canceled contracts, sales records, and vouchers for payments to vendors or employees. Lastly, after a long seven years of storage, shred accident reports, payroll records, time books, and withholding tax statements.
Go Paperless With Micro Records
Due to our companies outstanding 2017 sales, Digitech Systems has selected Micro Records Company as A 2018 Gold Star Partner! Micro Records can help your business transition to a paperless way of life with quality e-forms and technology. For more information about how we can help your business utilize proactive monitoring, transition to doing things digitally, get rid of sensitive documents securely or benefit from new technology solutions, visit us online or give us a call at (877) 410-SCAN. For more tips on transitioning your business to paperless technology and going green, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, and Flickr.