In short
At the moment you have to keep accounting records (Buchungsbelege, meaning every document a booking is based on) for eight years as a rule. The German government has proposed extending that period to 15 years. Whether the change actually becomes law is still open.
An obligation, not an optional extra
Storing business documents is certainly not most founders’ favourite job. It is not optional, though, it is an obligation you have to meet. Shred too early and a tax audit can put you at a serious disadvantage, from an estimated assessment to losing your input VAT deduction.
The year 2024 actually brought real relief here: the fourth Bureaucracy Relief Act (Bürokratieentlastungsgesetz IV, BEG IV) cut the retention period for accounting records from 10 years to 8.
That relief may not last long.
What the action plan of 16 July could change
Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and Federal Justice Minister Dr Stefanie Hubig have presented a new action plan against tax and financial crime. One of the planned measures: the retention period for accounting records is to be extended to 15 years. The relief that was only just agreed could therefore soon turn into a considerably longer obligation.
According to the German government, the longer period is meant to secure access to important evidence over a longer time frame and make it easier to prosecute tax offences. Whether and when the measure will actually be written into law is still open.
Which retention periods apply to which documents?
The statutory retention period depends on the type of document. Some records may be destroyed after six years, others have to be kept considerably longer. The overview below shows the periods that currently apply, plus the change being discussed for accounting records:
| Type of document | Current period | Planned change |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial letters and business emails | 6 years | none |
| Accounting records (invoices, bank statements, receipts) | 8 years | possible extension to 15 years |
| Annual financial statements, balance sheets and GoBD process documentation | 10 years | none |
GoBD stands for the German principles for the proper keeping and storage of books and records in electronic form, and the process documentation is the written description of how your bookkeeping actually works.
Why does digital archiving make compliance easier?
In the view of the Federal Ministry of Finance, keeping digital records for longer creates only a small amount of extra work. For companies, though, the sheer number of different periods means that structured, audit-proof archiving matters more and more.
Whether you end up having to keep accounting records for 8, 10 or possibly 15 years: they have to meet the legal requirements for the whole of that period. If you only store documents in file folders or email inboxes, you often will not meet the GoBD requirements for immutability and audit-proof storage. Since the e-invoicing mandate came in, digital original documents also have to be archived in an audit-proof way.
To meet those requirements reliably, many companies use digital bookkeeping tools with built-in archiving. They give you one central, audit-proof place for your documents and help you meet the legal requirements as part of your normal working day.
mika offers exactly that: documents you upload or forward by email are archived in line with the GoBD. On top of that, the software checks invoices against the mandatory details required by section 14 of the German VAT Act (UStG), spots formal errors and points out anything missing. Tax specifics, for example for hospitality receipts, are taken into account as well.
Retention obligations after closing a company
Statutory retention obligations do not end automatically when a GmbH or UG (the two common forms of German limited company) is closed down. Even once you have stopped trading, you have to keep the relevant documents until the statutory periods have run out.
If the proposed period of 15 years does become law, those time frames would grow accordingly. So even after closing your company, you have to store your business documents properly and for as long as the law requires.
What does that mean when you switch software?
If you are planning to switch bookkeeping systems, archiving is part of that decision. Depending on the system, archived data either has to stay accessible for a long time or be exported in the format the law prescribes.
Digital bookkeeping tools should therefore offer not just the archiving itself, but also a complete data export that meets the GoBD requirements.
mika provides such an export. That way you can keep your archived documents even after switching systems or closing your company, without depending on the original bookkeeping system forever.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How long do invoices have to be kept at the moment?
At the moment you have to keep accounting records such as invoices, bank statements and receipts for eight years as a rule. Before BEG IV it was 10 years.
Are there planned changes to the periods?
Yes. The German government has proposed extending the period to 15 years. Whether the change actually becomes law is still open.
What happens if documents are destroyed too early?
Shredding too early can put you at a serious disadvantage in a tax audit, from an estimated assessment to losing your input VAT deduction.
Is it enough to save documents in ordinary folders?
Usually not. If you only store documents in ordinary folders or email inboxes, you often cannot meet the GoBD requirements, in particular those for immutability, traceability and proper storage.
Do documents have to be kept after a company is closed?
Yes. Statutory retention obligations do not end automatically when a GmbH or UG is closed down or liquidated. Relevant documents have to be kept until the statutory periods have run out.
Conclusion
Whether it is 6, 8 or 10 years today, or possibly 15 years in future: what counts is structured, audit-proof archiving of every document that matters for tax. Digital archiving tools can help you meet the legal requirements reliably and stay prepared for future changes to the rules.
Archiving digitally and in a structured way from the start pays off in the long run, too. Once a retention period has run out, documents are easier to identify and remove from the archive on purpose, instead of being hunted down in paper folders or messy file shares. Getting organised early therefore makes both your working day and the later upkeep of your archive easier.