How Long Do You Need To Keep Tax Returns. If you are staring at a stack of boxes of old tax documents you are not alone. You should also expect to wait longer for your refund if the irs determines that your tax return needs further review.

7 years, if you claim a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt deduction.

Find out how long you are required to keep those annoying old tax returns. Today's question is about tax returns — specifically, how long you need to keep returns and assorted supporting paperwork. Doing your taxes is only part of the job. How long do you need to keep tax records for? The answer to this question is: Keep copies of your filed tax returns. When it comes to tax returns, the rule of thumb is to store those suckers for seven years in case the internal revenue service or state government has. Some states can look back further than the irs. How long you should keep your records depends on whether you send your tax return before or after the deadline. The answers to these questions and more are in this article. For example, you need to hang on to car titles, things with raised seals and papers requiring.