Accounting vouchers are important documents. Not only for recording work, and providing information for management and administration in enterprises, but also they are must-have requirements of a company to provide for the government.

After-tax finalization, the accounting vouchers are still archived. The time for archiving them will depend on each type of voucher, and corresponding to the archival period.

There are three types of retention periods: minimum 5 years, minimum 10 years, and perpetual storage.

Accounting vouchers shall be kept for at least 5 years, including:

• Accounting documents that are not used directly to record accounting books, and prepare financial statements such as receipts, payment slips, goods received notes, and goods delivery notes.
• Accounting documents used for management and administration of the accounting department, supporting accounting, but not directly recorded in accounting books, and preparing financial statements.
• In case accounting documents are required to be archived for more than 5 years, according to specialized laws, they shall be archived according to such regulations.
• Accounting vouchers shall be kept for at least 10 years, including:
• Accounting documents used directly to record in accounting books and financial statements such as detailed invoice lists, general invoice tables, detailed accounting books, general accounting books, monthly financial statements, quarterly financial statements, and annual financial statements of the accounting department.
• Accounting documents related to liquidation and sale fixed assets, assets assessment report.
• Accounting documents related to the establishment, division, separation, consolidation, merger, dissolution, bankruptcy, and termination of the operation.
• Relevant documents of a company such as: records of inspection according to law or independent audit organizations and state audits.
• In case accounting documents are required to be archived for more than 10 years, according to specialized laws, they shall be archived according to such regulations.

Accounting vouchers must be permanently archived, including:

• Annual state budget final settlement report approved by the National Assembly.
• Local budget settlement reports approved by People's Councils at all levels.
• Dossiers and final report of completed projects of group A, projects of national importance.
• Other accounting documents, which are historical, have important economic implications; security, and defense meanings.

In summary, an enterprise with no particular industry and state-related capital only needs to remember two main ideas:

Firstly, if the accounting vouchers are not directly used to record in accounting books and financial statements, the storage period is 5 years.

Second, accounting vouchers are used directly to record in accounting books, and reports are required to be submitted to the state, the storage period is 10 years.