-- -Rowan- 4/13/2014. I think the name Rowan is beautiful for a girl, but a little rough for a boy. I once read a book about a girl named Rowan because there was a Rowan tree outside of her mum's bedroom window when she was pregnant.
For most people, that means keeping your tax records for at least three years from the date you actually filed your tax return. Some states have a longer statute of limitations. In that case, you should keep your tax records for as long as the statute of limitations is still open for a particular tax return. The statute of limitations gives the IRS three years to audit your tax return.
So why is keeping tax returns for three years important? Keeping tax returns for the three-year time period is tied to the IRS statute of limitations. Under the statute, if you do not file a claim for a refund that you are entitled to, you generally have the later of three years from the date you filed the original return or two years from the date you paid the tax, to file the claim. Likewise, the IRS generally has only three years from the filing date or due date of the return (whichever is later) to assess an additional tax if you did not accurately report your income.