How long to hold payslips/Bank Statements

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boris

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How long should you hold bank statements and payslips for.

I have bank statements going back to 1984 and payslips going back to 1994. As I work in the Civil Service, would I need to hold these for pension purposes (long way to go for that yet thank God)

Need to do a major shredding exercise shortly.

:confused:
 
Ditch the payslips, maybe keep the p60s if you want a lifetime record. I wouldn't hold bank statements beyond their useful life, maybe a year or two, everyone's different.
 
Thanks for that extopia.

Would there be a legal basis for holding these documents for any period of time. I would be fearful if I shredded them and then needed them later on for something else.
 
No legal basis. You can get copy backdated bank statements if you ever need them. But both are just a record of transactions and have no legal purpose.
 
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bear in mind that if you feel you may need an old bank statement banks charge a few for providing copies....if your transactions are the normal salary in and cash out type there is no need to keep
 
I use to laugh at my 90 year old grandmother for keeping her record slips going back years...but then one day Bord Gais said she didnt pay her bill and caused a huge fuss and wouldnt accept our word that it had been paid.

The slip stamped by the post office was found and showed to them which put manners on them.

You cant be too careful. How much space could those slips take up anyway?
 
I would advise to keep all tax records including softcopies of statements/returns for ROS Online. I just received a letter from the tax man requesting a tax return for 2003 even though I did submitted it via ROS Online in Oct 2004. I threw away records from the tax man that were over 2 years old just a few months back! Luckily, I had written down the ROS Reference # for the 2003 tax returns on my p60 for that year :).
 
While there are no obligations, if you want some figure then isin't the business (revenue) period 6 years? that sounds nice
 
I have retained most or all Revenue documents and payslips that I have ever received - just in case. I recently ditched (shredded) about 10 years of certain utility bills and bank/credit card statements. The stuff that I retain only takes up one or two suspended files in a filing drawer unit that I have at home.
 
If you pay your bills online the bank can confirm the records.

Why don't you buy a scanner for your PC and scan them all for piece of mind? You should get one for €50-€100
 
I keep all that stuff going back a long time, however I recently got a form to complete regarding dental treatment and on the form it asks if you were working prior to 1979 (which I was) to give your old RSI number prior to '79. Now my records go back a long time, but 28yrs! Afraid I can't quite remember it.
 
The scanner idea is good.

Last year the Revenue wouldn't make a repayment to me saying I owed them a tax return for a previous year.

I scanned in the P21c they sent me for the year and printed it out in colour and sent the copy to them. They accepted it and unblocked the repayment.

I've all my payslips still and most bank statements. I rip up bills/credit card statements to limit the paper & make ID theft a bit harder. If I owned a scanner I'd try to work up the energy to scan them all in.

I've a huge concertina file folder that I put everything in according to what letter it starts with. Passport under p, car stuff under c etc.
 
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