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Keep a complete trail from each GST amount on your return to the underlying sale, purchase, payment and calculation. In practice, that means retaining sales invoices and receipts, cash and electronic sales records, supplier invoices for claimed credits, relevant expense and payroll records, filed returns, working papers, reconciliations and documents explaining adjustments.
There is no single worldwide retention rule. The tax authority and country determine the deadline and acceptable format. The checklist below explains the evidence an inspector normally needs, then identifies the current Canadian and Australian rules separately so you do not apply one country’s period to another.
Start by identifying the jurisdiction
“GST” is not administered under one global recordkeeping law. Canada’s federal system uses GST/HST rules, while Australia has its own GST legislation and guidance. Other countries can set different retention periods, language requirements, invoice rules and audit procedures. Confirm the rule for the tax registration, branch or entity that filed the return before deleting anything.
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The principles are consistent: an auditor should be able to understand what you sold or bought, when it happened, how much tax was charged or claimed, how money moved, and how the figure reached the filed return. Keep records in a form that can be produced and read for the entire legal retention period.
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Core records to keep for a GST audit
| Record group | What to retain | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Sales and tax collected | Sales invoices, receipts, point-of-sale reports, sales ledgers, and records for both cash and electronic transactions | Which customer transaction occurred, the amount charged, the applicable GST treatment and the tax included in reported sales |
| Purchases and input credits | Supplier invoices, receipts, expense records and other documents supporting each credit claim | That the purchase occurred, was for the business, contains enough detail to determine its GST treatment and supports the amount claimed |
| Payments and deposits | Bank statements, merchant settlement reports, payment processor records, cheque details and cash deposit records where used | That recorded transactions were actually paid and that sales totals can be reconciled to money received |
| Business costs and payroll | Records of fees, operating expenses, wages or payroll costs and other business costs relevant to the GST calculation | The business purpose and amount of costs used in the return or to explain a calculation; payroll records alone do not prove GST was charged |
| Returns and working papers | Copies of filed GST returns, spreadsheets, ledgers, software reports and electronic working copies used to prepare them | How source transactions were totalled into each box or line on the return |
| Adjustments and special calculations | Notes, schedules and source documents for corrections, credits, estimates, apportionments or other GST decisions | Why the reported figure differs from the original invoice or ordinary transaction total |
Sales records: show how GST was collected
Keep invoices and receipts with meaningful descriptions
A document should identify what was supplied, not merely show an unexplained total. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) says descriptions must be detailed enough to determine the GST/HST treatment. Use a product or service description, quantity or scope where relevant, transaction date, amount, tax charged and the customer or transaction reference used in your books.
Retain the source document issued to the customer and the related entry in your sales ledger. If your system produces a daily summary instead of an invoice for every low-value sale, preserve the report that explains the summary and the method used to calculate tax.
Cover cash and electronic sales
Do not keep only card or bank deposits. An inspector may need to compare cash-register totals, card settlements, online payments, refunds and deposits. Save point-of-sale closing reports, cash sheets, merchant statements and deposit records in the same period-based file as the sales ledger.
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Reconcile cash and electronic sales regularly rather than waiting for an inspection. Record the date of the reconciliation, the source totals compared and explanations for differences such as refunds, chargebacks, tips or timing between a sale and a bank settlement.
Purchase records: support every GST credit claimed
Retain supplier invoices and receipts
For Canadian input tax credits, CRA guidance specifically identifies purchase invoices or receipts as supporting evidence. Keep the original document, a readable scan or an electronic invoice together with the accounting entry that records the expense and tax. The document should show the supplier, date, description, amount and GST/HST charged or the information needed to establish the treatment.
Australian small-business guidance similarly lists tax invoices and records of expenses, fees, wages and other business costs used in GST calculations or credit claims. Keep enough context to establish the business purpose, particularly when a cost could be partly personal or relates to more than one activity.
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Link the document to payment and the return
A paid bank transaction does not replace an invoice: it proves money moved, but usually not what was purchased or how GST was treated. Keep the invoice, payment evidence and ledger entry together, using a consistent reference such as the supplier name and invoice number. When a supplier issues a credit note or corrected invoice, retain both the original and replacement so the change is explainable.
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Returns, ledgers and adjustment evidence
Keep the calculation trail
Save a copy of each filed GST return and the working papers used to prepare it. The CRA advises electronic filers to retain working copies even when the return was submitted online. A working paper can be a spreadsheet, accounting-software report or exported ledger, provided it shows how source totals became the figures filed.
Preserve the chart-of-accounts or tax-code mapping used during the period if it changed later. Without that context, an identical ledger total may produce a different GST result after software settings are altered.
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Explain adjustments and unusual entries
Write a short contemporaneous note whenever you correct a prior entry, reverse a transaction, apportion a cost, apply an estimate or make another non-routine GST calculation. Attach the underlying invoice, contract, credit note or schedule. The note should state the date, amount, reason, tax treatment and the return period affected.
Do not rely on a memory-based explanation created years later. Australian guidance expressly calls for records explaining adjustments and calculations; the same discipline makes a Canadian review easier even where a particular note format is not prescribed.
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The following are examples from current official guidance, not a universal GST rule. Apply the period required by your own tax authority and consider whether another law requires a longer period.
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| Jurisdiction | General GST record period | How the period is counted | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada (CRA GST/HST guidance) | Usually six years | Six years from the end of the year to which the records relate | Keep records available for review; specific circumstances can alter ordinary handling |
| Australia (Australian Government small-business guidance) | Generally five years | From the later of when the record was prepared or obtained, or when the related transaction was completed | The guidance notes that some situations require longer retention |
| Australian companies (ASIC rule cited in the same guidance) | Seven years for company records | Under the company-record requirement, not the general GST counting rule | Do not describe seven years as Australia’s ordinary GST period; it is a distinct company obligation |
If a document supports several periods, a dispute, amendment, objection or unresolved inspection, keep it until the longest applicable deadline has passed and the matter is closed. When uncertain, ask the relevant authority or adviser before destruction and document that decision.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Paper and electronic records: make them readable and traceable
Canada
CRA’s September 2026 GST/HST Memorandum 15.1 discusses source records in paper or electronic form and electronically readable records that relate back to the source documents. A scan is useful only if it remains legible and can be connected to the transaction in the ledger. Preserve the original electronic file when it contains information that a printout omits, such as a structured invoice, audit trail or transaction identifier.
Australia
Australian small-business guidance says GST records may be written, electronic or paper, and must be in English or in a form that can be easily translated. Keep the software export, not just a screenshot, when the export is needed to show formulas, tax codes or transaction detail.
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- Create a folder for each financial or GST reporting period.
- Within it, separate sales invoices and receipts, purchase invoices and receipts, bank or payment records, returns and working papers, and adjustments.
- Use a consistent file name containing the date, supplier or customer, document number and amount.
- Scan paper records promptly and check that every page is readable before filing the original or disposing of it under local rules.
- Back up the records in a second location and test that an ordinary user can open the files without the original bookkeeping application.
- Restrict editing rights and retain an audit trail for changes to spreadsheets or accounting records.
A physical receipt organizer can make paper filing easier, but it does not replace missing invoice details, reconciliations, backups or the legally required retention period.
A step-by-step GST audit readiness check
- Select one filed return. Note its reporting period, filing date and the ledger accounts used to prepare it.
- Reproduce the filed totals. Export the return working paper and verify that its sales tax, purchase credits and net amount agree with the submitted return.
- Trace sales downward. Pick representative cash and electronic transactions and follow each from the sales report to the invoice or receipt, payment record and ledger entry.
- Trace purchase credits downward. Select each significant or unusual credit and connect the return line to the ledger, supplier invoice, payment and business-purpose explanation.
- Test reconciliations. Compare cash-register and electronic-sales summaries with deposits and merchant settlements; investigate timing differences rather than forcing totals to agree.
- Review adjustments. For every manual journal, correction, credit note or apportionment, locate the note and source document that explain the tax treatment.
- Check accessibility. Open a sample of archived files, confirm that scans are readable, and verify that links or references still lead to the source record.
- Record missing items. Obtain duplicate invoices or write a dated explanation and corrective action. Do not silently recreate a document with no indication that it was reconstructed.
Common recordkeeping gaps and practical fixes
- Only bank statements are retained: Add invoices, receipts and sales reports; statements show payment but not the taxable supply or GST treatment.
- Descriptions say “miscellaneous”: Replace vague entries with the goods or service supplied, the business purpose and the period involved.
- Cash sales are not reconciled: Preserve daily or periodic point-of-sale reports and document the reconciliation to deposits.
- Paper receipts fade or disappear: Scan them promptly, verify readability and back up the digital copy.
- Return spreadsheets are overwritten: Save a locked copy for each filed period and retain the version used for submission.
- Adjustments have no explanation: Add a dated note and attach the invoice, credit note, schedule or other evidence supporting the decision.
- Records are destroyed when an agent has a copy: The business remains responsible for keeping its records. Australian guidance states: “Even if you use a registered tax agent or digital service provider, record-keeping is your responsibility.”
- Receipts are sent with an electronic return and the originals are discarded: Filing software may not transmit supporting documents. CRA states: “You do not have to send receipts or supporting documents when you file your GST/HST information electronically. However, you must keep your records in case we ask to see them.”
What an inspector should be able to establish
A well-organized file lets a reviewer answer five questions without relying on guesswork:
- What transaction created the sale or purchase?
- What goods, services or costs did it involve?
- What GST treatment and amount were applied?
- Was the amount paid, collected, refunded or adjusted?
- How did the transaction enter the filed return?
If every reported amount can be followed through that chain, your records are serving their purpose. Apply the retention rule for your jurisdiction, preserve readable copies and keep explanations with the transactions they explain.
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