How long must all records for employment taxes be kept?
Sarah Garza
Updated on April 04, 2026
four years
How long should I keep employment tax records? Keep all records of employment taxes for at least four years.
Do employers have access to your tax records?
In the US, no one can access your tax returns unless you provide them with copies. It is against the law for any IRS employee to make any of your tax information available to any third party without your written permission to do so.
Is it illegal for a company to not send your W-2?
Federal law requires all employers to send employees W-2 statements no matter how low earnings or wages are. These W-2 statements can be sent in either paper or digital form and must be received by employees no later than January 31 of the following year. Employers must also file a copy of employee W-2s with the IRS.
How long must an employer keep W-2 records?
According to the Social Security Administration, employers need to keep copies of W-2 forms for at least four years.
How long do employers keep records?
Employers may decide to keep a record if they check employees’ status. It’s logical at the moment to keep records for 6 years to reflect the period another employee may have to claim an employer has failed to take care of their health and safety.
How long do you have to keep employment tax records?
Keep employment tax records for at least 4 years after the date that the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later.
What kind of records do employers need to keep?
Keeping records. You must collect and keep records of: what you pay your employees and the deductions you make. reports and payments you make to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) employee leave and sickness absences. tax code notices. taxable expenses or benefits.
When to tell HMRC you do not have payroll records?
Tell HMRC as soon as possible if you do not have records and cannot replace them. You must also do your best to recreate them – HMRC may be able to help if you’re not sure how much you paid your employees. You must tell HMRC if your final payroll report of the tax year includes figures that are:
How long should I keep staff records for under GDPR?
That said, there are legal requirements for you to follow. Working time records: Keep for2 years from the date the records refer to. Payroll records: Keep for 3 years from the end of the tax year that they relate to. Maternity, Paternity or Shared Parental Pay records: Keep for 3 years after the end of the tax year that the payment stopped.