How Long Should You Keep Business Invoices?
In most EU jurisdictions, you must retain business invoices and supporting documents for six to ten years from the end of the tax year they relate to. The exact period varies by country — Greece requires six years for most records, while some member states require ten. Both paper and digital copies satisfy the requirement if they are readable, complete, and retrievable on demand by the tax authority.
The retention clock starts at the end of the financial year the document belongs to, not the date you received it. Destroying records too early is a compliance risk: if an audit covers a period whose documents are gone, you face penalties and lose the ability to defend your filings. An AI employee like Nika helps by filing every invoice the day it arrives in a named, searchable location — from $0.40 per processed invoice — so the retention question becomes “where is it filed” not “do we still have it.”
Digital copies are accepted across the EU, but the format matters: the file must reproduce the original faithfully (a photo of a crumpled receipt may not qualify), and you must be able to produce it on request. The practical risk is not the law — it is losing documents in a disorganised inbox. Same-day filing solves the organisation problem at the source.
Related questions
Do I need to keep paper invoices or are scans enough?
Scans and digital copies are accepted across the EU if they faithfully reproduce the original and are readable, complete, and retrievable on demand. The original paper is not required once a compliant digital copy exists, though some countries have additional rules for specific document types.
What happens if I lose invoices before the retention period ends?
You lose the ability to defend the related tax filings. If audited, missing invoices mean you cannot prove expenses or VAT reclaims, which can lead to disallowed deductions, penalties, and interest. Same-day filing prevents loss at the source.