Retention periods determine how long businesses must keep certain business and accounting records. In principle, depending on the type of document, retention periods of ten, eight or six years apply.
What are Aufbewahrungsfrists?
Aufbewahrungsfrists are legally defined periods during which certain business and tax-relevant documents must remain available.
The relevant regulations are derived in particular from section German Commercial Code (GERMAN COMMERCIAL CODE) and section German Fiscal Code (AO). Which deadline applies depends on the specific type of document.
Which Aufbewahrungsfrists apply?
As a rule, the following retention periods apply to companies:
- Ten years in particular books and records, inventories, opening balance sheets, annual financial statements and certain organisational documents required for their understanding.
- Eight years: booking vouchers, which regularly also include incoming and outgoing invoices.
- Six years: in particular received and dispatched commercial or business letters as well as certain other tax-relevant documents.
Different or longer retention periods may apply to individual companies, documents or specific circumstances.
When does the Retention period start?
The Retention period generally begins at the end of the calendar year in which the event relevant to the respective document occurred.
For a booking voucher, for example, the calendar year in which the voucher was generated is decisive. In the case of annual financial statements, what matters is the year in which they are approved or drawn up.
A time limit may continue beyond the regular period if the documents remain relevant for tax purposes.
Do these Aufbewahrungsfrist rules also apply to digital documents?
Yes. Retention obligations generally also apply to electronically maintained or received documents. Throughout the respective retention period, the statutory requirements for availability and legibility must be complied with.
Further requirements for electronic storage are set out, amongst other things, in connection with the GoBD and the digital archiving .
