Tiếng Việt
中文Short answer: The retention period for an enterprise’s accounting vouchers is at least 05 years (vouchers used for management and administration; vouchers not used directly for bookkeeping), at least 10 years (vouchers used directly for bookkeeping and for preparing financial statements, accounting books, and annual financial statements), and permanent (documents of archival value with significant economic, security, or national defence importance) — under Clause 5, Article 41 of the Law on Accounting 2015 (as amended and supplemented by Law No. 56/2024/QH15).
Legal basis
- Law on Accounting 2015 (as amended and supplemented by Law No. 56/2024/QH15);
- Decree No. 174/2016/ND-CP detailing certain articles of the Law on Accounting.
Retention periods for enterprise accounting vouchers
| Document type | Minimum retention period |
|---|---|
| Accounting documents used for management and administration of the accounting unit, including accounting vouchers not used directly for bookkeeping and financial statement preparation | 05 years |
| Accounting vouchers used directly for bookkeeping and financial statement preparation, accounting books, and annual financial statements (unless otherwise prescribed by law) | 10 years |
| Accounting documents of archival value with significant economic, security, or national defence importance | Permanent |
Which accounting documents must be retained permanently?
Under Article 14 of Decree No. 174/2016/ND-CP:
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- For business operations: accounting documents of archival value with significant economic, security, or national defence importance. The determination is made by the head or legal representative of the accounting unit based on the archival value and long-term significance of the documents;
- For state accounting: the annual state budget finalization report approved by the National Assembly; local budget finalization reports approved by People’s Councils at all levels; dossiers and finalization reports of completed Group A projects and national important projects; and other accounting documents of archival value with significant economic, security, or national defence importance.
Note: permanent retention is understood as retention for more than 10 years until the accounting documents are naturally destroyed.
Where are accounting documents stored?
Under Article 11 of Decree No. 174/2016/ND-CP:
- Accounting documents of a unit are stored in that unit’s archive; the accounting unit must ensure adequate preservation equipment and safety during storage. If it does not have an archive division or facility, the unit may engage a storage organization or authority under contract;
- Accounting documents of foreign-invested enterprises and branches and representative offices of foreign enterprises operating in Vietnam must be stored at the accounting unit in Vietnam or with a storage organization in Vietnam under contract. Upon termination of operations in Vietnam, the legal representative decides the storage location, unless otherwise prescribed by law;
- Accounting documents of dissolved, bankrupt, or terminated units (including documents of accounting years still within the retention period and documents related to dissolution, bankruptcy, or termination) are stored at the location decided by the legal representative or under the decision of a competent authority;
- Accounting documents on security and national defence are stored in accordance with relevant legislation.
Frequently asked questions
Are electronic accounting vouchers as valid as paper copies?
Yes, if electronic vouchers fully satisfy the conditions on integrity, accessibility, and format prescribed by legislation on electronic transactions and accounting.
Are there penalties for destroying accounting vouchers before the deadline?
Yes. Failure to preserve and store accounting documents for the prescribed periods may be subject to administrative penalties in the accounting field; the specific penalty depends on the act and should be cross-checked against current regulations.
Where you need to review your enterprise’s voucher retention regime for compliance, please contact an ANT Legal lawyer for review and advice before proceeding.
