Expense Receipts – Electronic and paper versions?

Q. If I have electronic versions of expense receipts do I still need to keep the paper versions as well? I have had different views on this and would really love to reduce the paper mountain!

A. Thank you for your query RE: electronic receipts. It is HMRC’s position that they will accept electronic copies of receipts.

If you are going to only keep electronic copies of your documentation, there are some rules HMRC require you to follow:

1. You must keep a copy of the receipt for 6 years.
2. Back ups – as well as keeping the electronic copies on a drive you need to ensure that this is suitably backed-up
3. Legibility – all copies should be legible; it is important to make sure that the copy of your documentation is of a decent enough quality so that all the original information can be deciphered.
4. Maintain a suitable filing system – HMRC would expect that, during a visit from one of their officers, you would be able to locate any document quickly and reliably.

Should you require any further clarification, please contact one of the team.

This answer was provided by Qdos Accounting.