Beginning Farmer & Land Access
Beginning Farmer Record Retention Guide
A guide to record retention for beginning farmers. It lists the records to keep, how to store them, and why to ask a tax professional how long to hold each kind.
Download free PDF1 page, US Letter, prints clean in black and white
GuideBeginning Farmer & Land AccessFree PDF
The steps on this page
- List the record types you hold
- Sort tax and income records
- Sort loan and lease records
- Sort equipment and land records
- Sort employee records
- Choose storage method
- Back up digital files
- Ask how long to keep each type
- Dispose of old records safely
How to use this guide
Pin it up in the shop or barn. The numbered steps are a short reminder, and the notes lines are for details specific to your operation.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with IRS and USDA.
For more in this area, see the farm finance explained. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including Farm Yield Hits Record High; Farmer Sets Personal Record for Losing Money, and agribusiness farm stories.