How much crap do we need to keep?

[lazy farmer]

Please bare in mind I hate paper work.
there’s a few changes going on around here including the renewal of the office flooring.
(Puppies and Lino)
To achieve this I need to empty a filling cabinet and a book case full of fills and paperwork.
So back to my question how much of what I have do I really need to keep.
travelling Round I see some farm offices that have soooo many fills I think firstly Jesus what I am not doing that I should be then secondly what is the point of soo much stuff ? Does it not confuse the core business model.
So what should Be keptfor legislative reasons and what should be kept for management reasons?

 

[Sid]

I had an issue with some drugs that were way out of date, had been lost in the back of a cupboard in the dairy and were found on a RT inspection. Inspector wanted to see recipient and vet records to show purchase and partial use.
Invoice was found and shown, 10 years needed to be kept.
Vet record couldn't be, inspector was getting bee in bonnet about it until I asked where in RT regs is stated how long they had to be kept. 5 years, this went back 6. I said therefore I don't need to show you.

I must admit I do have my granny's and mums old farmer and stockbreeder diary starting in early 60s

 

[Scholsey]

Having to the keep the paper copies of anything is surely outdated now? Will be making the point at my next farm assurance inspection.

Those air/water/soil pollution booklets should definitely only be available digitally, must cost hundreds of thousands to print and distribute those bloody things.

 

[Sid]

The issue becomes when there is a dispute and the solicitor say, now what paperwork have you got.....mmmmm well you see.....

 

[Brisel]

Health records need to be kept for life. VAT 5 years etc. Drainage plans etc for ever. I've refurbished my office after 35 years and ma having a good clear out. 12 years of every invoice and field work plan don't need to be cluttering the place up.

 

[lazy farmer]

Correspondence with milk buyer?
How far back are soil samples relevant?
Tb correspondence from defra ?

 

[SilliamWhale]

What about the old mans Classic Tractors?

 

[britt]

Public and employers liability insurance certificates need to be kept for ever.

 

[lazy farmer]

Public and employers liability insurance certificates need to be kept for ever.

Why?

 

[How much]

Why?

so is in 30 years time an employee wants to claim that the paint he applied to your shed gave him cancer you can point him in the direction of your insurers where this year with there policy no.
I believe the insurance industry now has a historic register of employers insurers in there own right but there are quite alot of black holes in it where insurers where bought out where the records are incomplete

with paperwork now you can bin pretty much all as long as you can reproduce it so you need a good scanner to copy it all and upload it to something like MS onedrive as long as you store it in way you can locate it again or search for it with searchable PDF's

 

[Henarar]

Why?

Incase you get a back claim

 

[Henarar]

VAT 5 years etc.

Are you sure its 5 years for vat recites ? I thought it was 7 but would be happy to be wrong

 

[Barleymow]

What about the old mans Classic Tractors?

they must be kept for ever

 

[Henarar]

they must be kept for ever

not the ones that feature fords but the rest yes I agree

 

[Barleymow]

ime only in the ford ones , got 3 copies of each of them ?

 

[Brisel]

Are you sure its 5 years for vat recites ? I thought it was 7 but would be happy to be wrong

You could be right. I hadn't checked. It's certainly 5 years for field records of pesticide & fertiliser applications.

 

[Johnnyboxer]

Scan it all to THE CLOUD and be done with paper copies

 

[Brisel]

Scan it all to THE CLOUD and be done with paper copies

Will HMRC or a court accept scanned copies? Yes, but not for VAT

Will HMRC accept scanned receipts for business expenses?

When you’re running a business, do you have to keep paper copies of all your receipts, or will HMRC accept scanned copies?

www.freeagent.com

 

[jondear]

My old man keeps everything! The cr#p he collects can't throw anything out .Might come in handy one day !

 

[Clive]

Please bare in mind I hate paper work.
there’s a few changes going on around here including the renewal of the office flooring.
(Puppies and Lino)
To achieve this I need to empty a filling cabinet and a book case full of fills and paperwork.
So back to my question how much of what I have do I really need to keep.
travelling Round I see some farm offices that have soooo many fills I think firstly Jesus what I am not doing that I should be then secondly what is the point of soo much stuff ? Does it not confuse the core business model.
So what should Be keptfor legislative reasons and what should be kept for management reasons?

most of what is in our office should be in the bin or never have been printed or posted in the first place

nearly everything we need legally can be generated and stored electronically and is far easier to find that is currently often the case

it’s a generation thing though, acceptance that there is no need for half the crap we print and file (badly) is not universal !