Tax Records - Time To Keep

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If you are a neat-nick and your tax return for last year has been completed and filed, you are probably thinking about getting rid of the tax records related to that return. On the other hand, if you are afraid to dump old records, you are probably looking for a box to put them in so you can store them away. Well, you do have to keep them for a period of time but not forever.

Generally, tax records are retained for two reasons: (1) in case the IRS or a state agency decides to question the information on your tax returns or (2) to keep track of the tax basis of your capital assets, so that you can minimize your tax liability when you dispose of those assets.

With certain exceptions, the statute of limitations for assessing additional taxes is three years from the return’s due date or its filling date, whichever is later. However, the statute in many states is one year longer than that of federal law. In addition, the federal assessment period is extended to six years if more than 25% of a taxpayer’s gross income is omitted from a tax return. In addition, of course, the three-year period doesn’t begin elapsing until a return has been filed. There is no statute of limitations for the filing of false or fraudulent returns to evade tax payments.

Written by Chuck Woodson | Posted in Tax Records - Time To Keep

Charles Woodson, How Long Should You Hang On To Tax Records

Generally, taxpayers should hold on to their tax records for at least 3 years after the due date of the return to which those records apply. However, if the original return was filed later than the due date, including if the taxpayer received an extension, the actual filing date is substituted for the due date. A few other circumstances can require taxpayers to keep these records for longer than 3 years.

The statute of limitations in many states is 1 year longer than in the federal statute. This is because the IRS provides state tax authorities with federal audit results. The extra year gives the states adequate time to assess taxes based on any federal tax adjustments.

In addition to the potential confusion caused by the state statutes, the federal 3-year rule has a number of exceptions that cloud the recordkeeping issue:

The assessment period is extended to 6 years if a taxpayer omits more than 25% of his or her gross income on a tax return.
The IRS can assess additional taxes without regard to time limits if a taxpayer (a) doesn’t file a return, (b) files a false or fraudulent return to evade taxation, or (c) deliberately tries to evade tax in any other manner.
The IRS has unlimited time to assess additional tax when a taxpayer files an unsigned return.