Business records for a tree company: what tax offices say to keep, and for how long

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. Each office words its own rule and each rule has exceptions, so the table at the end gives only the headline period as the office states it. Safety paperwork has its own page, the guide on site paperwork by country.

United States

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recordkeeping page says good records help a business monitor progress, prepare financial statements, identify sources of income, track deductible expenses, prepare tax returns and support what the returns report. It says a business may choose any recordkeeping system that clearly shows income and expenses, and that except in a few cases the law does not require any special kind of record. It says the type of record needed depends on the business. The page was last reviewed or updated on May 1, 2026.

On how long, the page says records must be kept as long as needed to prove the income or deductions on a tax return. For employment tax it says to keep all records for at least four years.

IRS Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records, explains the same rule through the period of limitations: the time in which a return can be amended for a credit or refund, or the IRS can assess more tax. Its Table 3 lists these periods:

• 3 years where additional tax is owed and none of the special cases below applies.
• 6 years where income that should have been reported is more than 25% of the gross income shown on the return.
• Not limited where a fraudulent return is filed, or where no return is filed.
• 7 years for a claim for a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt deduction.

The publication adds that records on property are kept until the period of limitations ends for the year the property is disposed of in a taxable disposition.

United Kingdom

GOV.UK says sole traders and partners in a partnership must keep records of business income and expenses for their Self Assessment tax return, and also records of personal income. It says limited companies have different rules. The page says that from the 2024 to 2025 tax year, cash basis is the default method of accounting, and that a business must opt out to use traditional accounting or if it cannot use cash basis. Under cash basis, it says income or an expense is recorded only when money is received or a bill is paid.

On how long, GOV.UK says records are kept for at least 5 years after the January 31 submission deadline of the relevant tax year. Its example is a 2022 to 2023 return sent online by January 31, 2024, with records kept until at least the end of January 2029. It adds that a return sent more than 4 years after the deadline means keeping records for 15 months after sending it.

GOV.UK's guidance on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax ties records to software. It says digital records of self-employment and property income and expenses are created with compatible software, and that HMRC does not provide the software. A table on its page gives start dates by qualifying income, which it defines as total turnover from self-employment and property income:

The guidance says a business that keeps its records in spreadsheets can go on using them, but needs software that links to the spreadsheets, which it calls bridging software.

Canada

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) page on keeping records defines records as all of a business's accounting and other financial information documents, and says they must be kept organized. It lists income, expense, motor vehicle and property records, and says the required information depends on the situation. The CRA page on where to keep records and for how long says records and supporting documents are kept for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, and that they are kept at the place of business or residence in Canada. It says records kept outside Canada and reached electronically from Canada are not considered kept in Canada. Its page details carry the date August 3, 2026.

New Zealand

The business.govt.nz guide to business tax, from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, says a business must keep accurate records of its finances and hold on to them for seven years, because Inland Revenue will want to see them in an audit. It lists invoices and receipts, records of salaries and wages, records of petty cash and banking transactions, and vehicle logbooks as records a business may need. The page was last edited on August 12, 2026.

At a glance

Sources

• Internal Revenue Service, recordkeeping, page updated May 1, 2026, read October 9, 2026
• Internal Revenue Service, Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records, read October 9, 2026
• GOV.UK, business records if you're self-employed, read October 9, 2026
• GOV.UK, business records if you're self-employed: how long to keep your records, read October 9, 2026
• GOV.UK, Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: before you use this guide, read October 9, 2026
• Canada Revenue Agency, keeping records, page dated June 30, 2026, read October 9, 2026
• Canada Revenue Agency, where to keep your records and for how long, page dated August 3, 2026, read October 9, 2026
• business.govt.nz, guide to business tax, last edited August 12, 2026, read October 9, 2026