How long to keep tax/employment papers

[scotview]

How long do you guys generally keep old copies of tax returns/pension P60/Share divis etc.

[88V8]

I believe the norm is six years plus the current year.

Mind you, I believe HMRC can delve back an unlimited time if they think you're a bad 'un.

I still have my first payslip from 1969, and the last payslip from each of my jobs.

V8

[pje16]

The above is correct
But I keep all my stuff for good
guess I have never decided on a date to get rid of it
Occasionally historical data does come in useful

[BullDog]

Seven years.

[Dod101]

I'd agree with 7 years. For historical reasons I still have my letter of appointment for my overseas job in Hong Kong. Delightfully old fashioned and might amuse my family some time but mostly I get rid of stuff after 7 years.

Dod

[genou]

Seven years.

This is reasonable if you are self employed. https://www.gov.uk/self-employed-record ... ur-records

If you are not, its 22 months - https://www.gov.uk/keeping-your-pay-tax ... ur-records

[Urbandreamer]

I've been advised to keep P60's until state pension age.

Of course, that does date back to before you could check your NI record online. The reason for the advice was that HMRC didn't always manage to keep track of people's NI contributions. Especially if they changed their name, ie when they got married.

To be fair, it's not entirely clear that HMRC were the ones at fault. However, this is one of the reasons that employers are legally required to provide you with a P60 each year. That way Miss Brown and Mrs Smith's NI contributions, with different NI numbers which did happen, could be resolved to the same individual.

[mc2fool]

Keep absolutely anything and everything to do with or might affect your pensions forever ... or at least until those pensions start rolling in, and then a few years longer. That includes all payslip & P60s (yes, I know that's potentially redundant, but still), along with any and all documentation and correspondence.

I've had to supply HMRC with evidence from 30 years previously to sort out one NI glitch on their part, and I similarly had to do the same, from much the same period, with a company defined benefit scheme. Do not trust that anyone else will have it.

[pje16]

Do not trust that anyone else with have it.

Sound advice
I found lots of financial errors over the years that would have left me out of pocket of not challenged
Utility bills, credit cards charges and quite unbelievably mortgage interest