Archiving requirements

What are archiving requirements?

Archiving requirements refer to the legal obligation for businesses to preserve their accounting material, including invoices, credit notes, and receipts, for a set period. In many jurisdictions the bookkeeping act or equivalent tax law dictates that all material must be stored securely for a number of years after the end of the financial year. Modern regulations increasingly mandate that this archiving must be done digitally for most companies.

How it works

Digital archiving means that documents must be kept in their original format. If you receive an e-invoice, it is not enough to keep a printout; you must store the original XML file. The system must ensure that data remains readable, is protected against changes (integrity), and can be quickly retrieved in the event of an audit by the tax authorities.

Security requirements

A compliant digital archive must have backup procedures to ensure data is not lost due to system failures or cyberattacks. Additionally, there must be a log of who has accessed the material. Modern bookkeeping laws also require that material be exportable in a standard format (e.g., SAF-T) if requested by the authorities.