It’s tax season, and you’re probably in the midst of going through a bunch of paperwork.

What better time to create a system to manage all those documents so you can retrieve them later?

First: organize, categorize, and digitize.

While you might still use physical folders, a digital backup of your documents is more searchable and secure. Here are some best practices:

Use a standardized naming convention. For instance, start the file with [year]_[form type]_[provider], such as “2025_1099-INT_BankofAmerica”

Use subfolders within your main folder. For instance, under your “Taxes” folder you could have separate subfolders for Income, Expenses, and Final Return.

Scan documents or use mobile apps such as Adobe Acrobat, Evernote, or Apple Notes to immediately convert physical documents into searchable PDFs.

Know what to keep and for how long.

Our Kindred website includes three handy records retention guideline documents for your convenience:

Business Tax Documents

Business Records

Individual Records

When it’s time to get rid of documents, do so securely.

Always shred physical documents containing sensitive data like social security numbers and account numbers once their retention period has expired.