Which tax records must you keep — and for how long?

In any inspection, the burden is on you to support what you filed. Good records make that easy.

What to keep

• Sales and purchase tax invoices, credit and debit notes.
• Import and export documents.
• Contracts and agreements behind major transactions.
• Accounting books, ledgers and bank statements.
• Working papers for each VAT and zakat return.

How long

• VAT records: at least six years — longer for capital assets and real estate.
• Zakat records: ten years under the new zakat regulations.

How

• Records can be kept electronically, provided they are readable and retrievable when ZATCA asks.
• Organise files by period so you can answer a request within days, not weeks.
• Keep a backup outside your main system.

Tip

Archive each month's documents when you close the month. Rebuilding three years of files during an inspection is costly and stressful.