An irresistible desire to throw away seemingly unnecessary documentation - official letters from departments, receipts
old accounts, often arise from an ordinary Russian burgher living in Germany.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For each family member, there are statistically 3-4 folders of documents, which are replenished every year. Storage threatens to turn the basement into paper bins!

❓Do you know?

Often, the outcome of spring cleaning is fraught with consequences.

➡️ State-prescribed storage periods in Germany - Aufbewahrungsfristen, for what and for how long, see below.

The retention obligation serves to protect the records. It's based on the idea of ​​testability. Companies, like individuals, must notify government agencies about their financial transactions, such as Finanzamt.

➡️ Convenient storage and archiving

To avoid the notorious paper clutter, digitalization and storage of documentation in the “clouds” is of particular importance. It is almost impossible to lose a document in digital format. This archiving method has proven itself and is legitimate.

The digital archive cannot be burned or discarded. Only you have access to it!

➡️ My recommendations:

🔹After reviewing the documents, scan and upload to the cloud. Create folders and label them by year and organization name.

I use the mobile application – Adobe Scan. It's free and very convenient.

🔹If you are used to storing documents in folders, stick to the theme, chronological order and also sort by organization!

How do you store the documentation? 

Documents required for accrual pensions, they are stored for decades:

🔹 Characteristics from the place of work.

🔹Certificates confirming study at universities or advanced training, relevant for calculating pensions.

🔹 Documents confirming employment, within which salary contributions were received to pension accounts (Meldebescheinigung zur Sozialversicherung).

🔹 This subsection includes securities related to the period of unemployment. They need to be kept as the Labor Exchange (Arbeits Amt) and Jobcenter count towards your retirement record.

Storage of documents and entrepreneurship

For all entrepreneurs in Germany, the statute § 257 Handelsgesetzbuch and § 147 Abgabenordnung apply, which prescribes the storage of documents at certain times:

🔹 Emails with tax-relevant content – ​​10 years.

🔹 Business letters (Gescäftsbriefe) – 6 years.

🔹 Balance sheets, inventory results, production instructions, accounts - at least 10 years.

Storage insurance policies and warranty coupons

🔹 Technical, warranty cards - shelf life 2 years.

🔹 Invoices from plumbers, electricians, builders (Handwerkerrechnungen) must be stored for at least 5 years. It is for this period of time that the quality guarantee of services provided by specialists - Gewährleistungspflicht - applies.

🔹 Life and disability insurance policies - until the specified dates in the contract.

Storage housing contracts

🔹 The rental agreement and the transfer protocol of the rented premises should be kept for at least 3 years after the termination of the agreement.

🔹 Utility bills can be helpful when applying for a social housing subsidy.
The Housing Authority (Wohngeldbehörde) requires a Nebenkostenabrechnungen for the last 2 years.

Storage other documents

🔹 Keeping a certificate of incapacity for work (Krankmeldung) is 5 years.
From 2022, exclusively in digital format.

🔹 Checks (Kassenbon) should be kept until the item's warranty expires.

🔹 Purchase and sale agreements (Kaufvertrag), receipts (Quittung) - before the expiration of the warranty period. I recommend keeping these documents for life in case the property is stolen, as proof of the item's value to insurance companies. It is especially often necessary to prove the presence and value of things when receiving compensation from home contents insurance (Hausratversicherung).

🔹 The general limitation period (Verjährungsfrist) for invoices (Rechnungen) is three years from the end of the year in which the document was due.

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