How do I keep records for tax and legal purposes?
Short answer
Retain invoices, payment records, signed agreements, and communication history for as long as your accountant or attorney advises, then export and store them somewhere independent of the platform. Archive instead of delete when a customer relationship ends, since deleted records cannot help you later.
Before you start
- Guidance from your accountant or attorney on required retention periods.
- Access to invoices, payment history, and signed agreements in the system.
- A storage location outside the platform for long-term retention.
- A defined archive process instead of a default delete habit.
Step by step
- 1
Confirm retention periods with your accountant or attorney
Requirements vary by state and industry, so get specific guidance rather than guessing.
Retention rules are a legal question, not something to assume from general advice.
- 2
Identify every record type that needs retention
Invoices, payments, signed agreements, and relevant communication history are the usual list.
Missing one record type can leave a gap right where you need proof the most.
- 3
Archive completed customer relationships instead of deleting them
Move closed accounts to an archived status rather than removing the record entirely.
A deleted record cannot be produced if a dispute or audit comes up later.
- 4
Export financial records on a regular schedule
Pull invoices and payment history into a stored file outside the platform.
Redundant storage protects you if access to the platform is ever interrupted.
- 5
Keep signed agreements attached to the customer record
Store contracts, waivers, and estimates where they stay linked to the job they cover.
An agreement disconnected from its job or customer is far harder to locate when needed.
- 6
Preserve communication history for disputed jobs
Do not delete or edit message threads tied to any job with an open dispute or complaint.
Communication history is often the deciding factor in resolving a disagreement fairly.
- 7
Set a retention review on your calendar
Check annually whether older records have passed their required retention period.
This keeps you compliant without holding onto more data than you are required to.
What good looks like
- Financial and legal records are available exactly when they are needed.
- Closed customer relationships stay recoverable instead of permanently gone.
- Disputed jobs have a full communication trail to reference.
- Retention stays aligned with actual legal requirements, not guesswork.
Common mistakes
The ways this goes wrong in data, and what to do instead.
Deleting records once a job or customer relationship ends›
A closed account gets wiped and cannot be referenced when a tax question comes up a year later.
Do this instead: Archive completed relationships instead of deleting them, and export financial records separately.
Guessing at retention requirements›
Records get discarded too early based on an assumption instead of actual legal guidance.
Do this instead: Confirm required retention periods with your accountant or attorney for your specific situation.
Editing message threads on disputed jobs›
A communication history gets cleaned up and loses the context needed to resolve a complaint.
Do this instead: Leave communication history untouched on any job with an open dispute or complaint.
Frequently asked
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