Data Retention Policy
How long SigningLedger retains your data, your recordkeeping responsibilities, and what happens to business records after account closure.
Last updated: August 2026
Overview
SigningLedger is a business management and accounting platform. The records you enter — signings, expenses, mileage, invoices, accounts receivable, accounts payable, vendor payment history, and financial reports — are important business records that may be needed for tax filing, financial audits, and legal compliance. This policy describes how long we retain your data and your responsibilities for maintaining your own copies. SigningLedger is not your sole recordkeeping system. You own your records and are responsible for maintaining your own backups.
Tax Records (7 Years Recommended)
The IRS generally requires taxpayers to retain records supporting tax filings for 3 to 7 years. Tax-relevant records in SigningLedger — including signings, expenses, mileage logs, invoices, tax estimates, 1099 summaries, and CPA packages — are retained until you delete them or close your account. We strongly recommend that you export your data annually and retain exports for at least 7 years to meet IRS recordkeeping requirements. SigningLedger does not automatically delete tax records based on age, but we are also not responsible for maintaining your tax records if you close your account without exporting.
Financial Reports and Accounting Records
Financial reports (income statements, balance sheets, Schedule C breakdowns), accounts receivable records, accounts payable records, and vendor payment history are retained until you delete them or close your account. These records may be needed for business audits, loan applications, or legal proceedings. Export and retain copies as needed for your business requirements.
Customer and Vendor Records
Customer and vendor records are retained until you delete them or close your account. Vendor Tax IDs are retained for the duration of the vendor relationship to support 1099-NEC reporting obligations.
Borrower Information
Borrower names and signing locations are retained with the associated signing record until that record is deleted. SigningLedger does not store Social Security numbers, loan numbers, or financial account numbers for borrowers.
Audit Logs
Audit log entries — including Tax ID reveals, data exports, and account deletions — are retained for a minimum of 2 years for security and compliance purposes, even after account deletion.
Deleted Records
When you delete an individual record, it may be recoverable for up to 30 days — contact support if you need a deleted record restored. After 30 days, the record is permanently removed and cannot be recovered. When you delete your entire account, your data is subject to a 1-year grace period (see Account Deletion Policy).
Business Records After Account Closure
When you close your account, your subscription is cancelled and your account enters a 1-year grace period with read-only access. During this period, you can export your data or reactivate your account. After the grace period, all business records are permanently deleted. We do not maintain archived copies of your business records after the grace period. If you need to retain records for tax or legal purposes, you must export them before the grace period ends. This approach aligns with industry practices — QuickBooks Online provides 1 year of read-only access after cancellation, and Xero retains data for 7 years. SigningLedger provides a 1-year grace period as a balance between user protection and data minimization.
Your Recordkeeping Responsibilities
You are responsible for: • Maintaining your own copies of your business records for the period required by the IRS and applicable state agencies (generally 3 to 7 years). • Exporting your data regularly — at minimum monthly — and storing exports in your own secure location. • Exporting your data before closing your account if you need to retain records for any purpose. • Ensuring that exports are stored securely and handled in compliance with applicable privacy laws. SigningLedger provides export tools but is not a substitute for your own recordkeeping obligations. We are not liable for data loss resulting from your failure to maintain your own backups.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the application or by email.