How long do I have to keep all of this stuff?! A guide for Record Retention The Pacific Conference of The Evangelical Church 18121 SE River Road Milwaukie, Oregon 97267 Phone (503) 659-5622 Fax (503) 353-8871 Email: pacificec@pacificecna.org Permission secured for use with Pacific Conference Churches only.
ACCOUNTING Accounts payable (after payment) Accounts receivable (after payment) Annual reports Appraisals Audited financial statements (audit reports) Auditor management letters Bank statements, reconciliations, and memos Bonds Broker's statements Budgets Buildings Cash disbursements journal Cash Journal Cash receipts journal Checks - cancelled Check register Check stubs Church members - record of giving Debit/credit memos Deposit slips - duplicate Depreciation schedules Disbursements Donor contributions (records of) Dun & Bradstreet reports Equipment Expense reports Fidelity Bonds or after property is sold See securities See fixed assets See check register 1 year See fixed assets See check register See fixed assets after expiration
ACCOUNTING (continued) Financial statements (reports): Audited statements (1 copy) Monthly or quarterly Trial balances: Interim 1 year Annual Fixed assets: Blueprints Contracts " Deeds " Depreciation schedules " Land surveys " Ledgers " Title policies " or after disposal of asset Forecasts (financial) Freight bills (paid) ledger Information returns - W-2's, 1099's, etc. Internal Audit Reports Inventory records: Goods for resale Materials and supplies Property Investments Invoices (after payment) Journal entries Journals (books of original entry): Cash disbursements Cash receipts Payroll Purchase Sales Ledgers and ledger cards Leases Letters of credit (after expiration) Licenses See securities See Corporate section See Corporate section
ACCOUNTING (continued) Mileage reports Monthly financial reports and statements Notes receivable Numbered receipts (donor records) Orders for merchandise (tapes, records, books, etc.) Paid bills Payroll earnings, records and returns Payroll time cards Petty cash vouchers Price lists Promissory notes (after payment) Property records Purchase orders Purchase requisitions Receipts - Donor Registers Royalty Payments Sales contracts: Property Sales invoices Securities: Bonds (after payment) Interest coupons (after payment) Stock certificates Shipping and receiving reports Stewardship Statements - vendors Stocks Subsidiary ledgers See Expense reports 4 years after payment 1 copy permanent See fixed assets See journals Surrendered when sold See trust accounting 1 year See securities
ACCOUNTING (continued) Tax and information returns (State and Federal) Time cards (payroll) Travel expense vouchers Trial balances: Annual Monthly Trip reports Trust accounting: Annuity contracts Deceased annuitant notification Trust agreements Trust earnings records Voucher copies Withholding tax records Working papers: Accounting Budgets Cash flow Financial reports: Monthly Annual 1 year GENERAL CORPORATE - LEGAL Accident reports (after settlement) Agreements Appraisals Articles of Incorporation Bonds (after payment) Building permits (after project completion) Bylaws Clippings (newspaper, magazines, etc.) Contracts & agreements (after termination) See contracts or after property is sold or after property is sold
GENERAL CORPORATE LEGAL (continued) Copyrights, trademark registrations, patents Corporate charter, constitution Customs Deeds and easements Dun & Bradstreet reports Easements Engineering reports Estates (settlement of) Grievances (employee) Handbooks, employee House organs Incorporation records Inspection reports (fire, insurance) Insurance matters: Policies - expired Accident reports Fire inspection reports Claims (after settlement) I.R.S. examinations, rulings, comments Leases (after termination): Equipment of autos Property Legal opinions Licenses - federal, state local (after expiration) Litigation Maps (engineering and property) Meetings and conference reports Minutes - board, executive committee Mortgages, notes (after settlement) As long as property held after settlement Until superceded 1 year or after property is sold
GENERAL CORPORATE LEGAL (continued) Organization charts Patents Pension and retirement plans Personnel Policies and procedures Powers of Attorney Promissory notes (after payment) Property records - deeds, titles, etc. Real estate: Service contracts Tax exemption letter Zoning variances or rulings Update continually See personnel section or after property sold after expiration or cancellation or after property sold CORRESPONDENCE Contractual matters See Corporate section Donor: Deferred giving and contractual: Annuities while in force Contracts and after death of donor Trust " Wills " Employment related Field office correspondence Insurance Interoffice: Reports Legal and tax matters Mailing lists (see Personnel) (see Missionary) See Corporate section Update continually
CORRESPONDENCE (continued) Memoranda Missionary: Accounts, expense Candidate status Commissioning or ordination' Deputation Donations Education Medical records Tax records Travel Payroll Personnel Telegrams, mailgrams See Personnel section PERSONNEL Applications: Hired (after termination) Rejected Attendance records Disability and sick benefits records Employee benefit programs Employment contracts (after -termination) Insurance - employee Job descriptions Payroll checks Payroll earnings records and tax returns Pension plans Personnel files (after termination) Retirement and pension records Social security Tax records - employee 4 years 4 years 4 years 4 years
PERSONNEL (continued) Time cards (time sheets) Withholding tax record~ (W-2 forms) Wage rate changes Worker's Compensation PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLICATIONS Church bulletins Magazines Newsletters PACIFIC CONFERENCE FORMS Please note: some forms used are already listed in other areas of this publication. Monthly Pastors Report Annual Statistical Report Membership Records Baptism/Dedication Records Pastoral Support Form Tithe/PAF, Church Extensions Payment Form Attendance Records See Personnel, Attendance See Accounting, Paid Bills 4 years - then copies for historical purposes