How Long Should You Keep Documents UK: The Complete Guide (2026)

Paperwork stacks up fast. Utility bills, insurance renewals, bank statements, tax returns, contracts — and the question of which pile you can actually throw away. The rules are more specific than most people realise, and getting them wrong can bite you years later.

Tax and HMRC Documents

If you are employed, HMRC recommends keeping payslips, P60s, and P11Ds for at least two years from the end of the tax year they relate to. If you are self-employed or a sole trader, the rule is stricter: keep all business records for five years after the 31 January filing deadline for the relevant tax year. That means if you filed your 2024/25 return by January 2026, you need those records until January 2031.

Partnerships have a slightly different rule: HMRC can look back further in cases of serious fraud or negligence, so many accountants recommend keeping partnership records for six years as a precaution.

• Self-employed trading records: 5 years from 31 January filing deadline
• P60, P45, payslips (employed): 2 years minimum, 6 years recommended
• VAT records: 6 years
• Company records (limited company): 6 years from end of the accounting period

Bank Statements and Financial Records

Most UK banks recommend keeping statements for six years. This aligns with the Limitation Act 1980, which gives creditors up to six years to pursue most civil debts. In practice it means if a dispute arises over a payment you made, you want six years of records to back you up.

For pension and investment statements, the picture is different. Keep these indefinitely, or at least until well after you have drawn down the funds and any disputes would be time-barred.

Insurance Policies

Active insurance policies are obvious to keep. Once a policy expires, you might assume you can shred it immediately — but that is a mistake. Keep expired insurance documents for at least three years after the policy ends. This matters because some claims (particularly those involving personal injury) can be brought years after the event.

For home insurance policies, many advisers recommend keeping them for the entire time you own the property plus three years after you sell, in case defects are discovered and traced back to the period you owned it.

Property Documents

Property paperwork follows a simple principle: if you still own the property, keep everything. If you have sold it, you should keep documents for six years after the sale. In practice, most solicitors recommend keeping the following indefinitely if you own the property:

• Title deeds and Land Registry documents
• Mortgage agreements and completion statements
• Planning permission documents
• Building regulations certificates
• Guarantees for work carried out (e.g. roof, windows, cavity wall insulation)
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — 10-year validity but keep for your records

Utility Bills

For most people, one year is enough. Keep the most recent year of gas, electricity, water, and broadband bills for proof of address purposes. If you are self-employed and claim energy costs as a business expense, hold onto them for five years to satisfy HMRC.

Medical and Legal Documents

Medical records held by the NHS are kept for at least eight years after your last treatment. Private records vary. If you have personal copies of test results, correspondence with consultants, or treatment summaries, keep them indefinitely — they can be valuable if questions arise about your health history years later.

Wills, lasting power of attorney documents, and other legal instruments should be kept permanently. These are the documents you would genuinely not want to lose.

Passports and Identity Documents

Keep expired passports indefinitely. They provide proof of your identity and citizenship history and can be needed for background checks, DBS checks, or tracing earlier periods of residency. Your driving licence photo must be renewed every 10 years but keep the old counterparts as they confirm your licence history.

The Practical Problem

Knowing the rules is one thing. Remembering which documents expire when, and whether your three-year-old insurance policy is still within the window, is another. Orlo lets you upload documents once, stores the key details, and reminds you at the right intervals. When it is safe to shred something, you will know.