Filing - how far back do I need to go?

[lisbapalea]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question or if I should go in money matters, but will see how it goes.... Just wondered if anyone could advise how much paperwork I really need to keep - how far back do I need to go with regards utility bills, payslips etc?

I have had the same job for 13yrs and have done a cull of payslips twice in that time - now feel like I am overflowing with the damn things!

I have all of our family paperwork filed into three concertina files, and am pretty proud of my organisation skills but some of the sections are bursting with paperwork that is likely to be completely irrelevant now, but I am too scared to throw it away!

Any advice welcome.

Thanks!

I only keep payslips for a year, then throw them out once I get the p60 for that year.

I now have something like 19 p60s. Probably don't even need to keep all of them even.

All other stuff I tend to keep for about 6 years.

Keep all your P60's.

Pay slips are really useful if you need to prove continuous service if you are made redundant. Only throw them away if you have a contract of employment that states your actual date of service. Do not assume that your employer will have these records!

I need to tackle all of mine! I think I will scan the whole lot, and keep the paper copy of all the P60s and all payslips since April '11.

It has just taken me and hour to sort them all out and haven't even started scanning and shredding...beginning to question my earlier claim of scanning them all as they go back to my first graduate job in 1997 and that could get boring/pointless!

7 yeasrs for business, 5 for personal I was told by an accountant.

I have a shredding blitz every April

No wonder this decluttering is taking me years! Took your thread as a sign to sort out my payslips and P60s...several days later I have finally finished (obviously did other things like go to work, too!)!

Scanned pay slips in financial years with P60 - ott but it takes up no physical space
Entered data into a spreadsheet - ott but I like information
Kept pay slips from apr '12
Kept P60s for last 7 years - ott again, I'm sure. May shred these next April
Shredded all the rest
The plan is to scan and shred again every Apr

What did you decide lisbapalea?

I went ruthless - kep a year of payslips and kept all P60s!

I have burned everything else (DH bought a chimnea and was burning anything he could get his hands on!), so it's too late to go back!

I love de-cluttering; hope I haven't been too over-enthusiastic with this recent bout!