How long should I keep my website bills and business records?
The short answer
It depends on the country and how your business is set up. As a guide: 5 years in Australia, 6 years for UK companies and in Canada, 7 years in New Zealand, and generally 3 years in the US, longer in some cases. Keep your domain, hosting and software invoices with your other business records.
Applies in Australia · UK · Canada · New Zealand · US
| Where your business pays tax | Keep records for |
|---|---|
| Australia (ATO) | 5 years from when you prepared or got them, or finished the transactions they relate to, whichever is later. Some records, such as those for assets or tax losses, for longer. |
| UK companies (HMRC) | 6 years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to. |
| UK sole traders (HMRC) | At least 5 years after the 31 January deadline for the tax return they relate to. |
| Canada (CRA) | Generally 6 years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. |
| New Zealand (IRD) | At least 7 tax years. |
| US (IRS) | Generally 3 years; 6 years if you left out more than 25% of your income; 7 years for bad-debt or worthless-securities claims; employment tax records at least 4 years. |
Other laws, such as employment, GST or VAT and company law, can require longer, so check with your accountant.
Website costs such as domains, hosting, email and software are usually business expenses. Keep the invoices and receipts, and a record of which website each one was for.
SlopDox provides compliance assistance only. This is general information to help you prepare — not legal advice, and no guarantee that a law does or doesn’t apply to you. For decisions, speak to a qualified lawyer.
Words used here
- Spending report
- Every charge between two dates, with totals by category and by card — ready to print for your accountant or tax return.
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