How long do I have to keep receipts?

It depends on the country: 7 years in the Netherlands (10 for real estate), 8 years for receipts in Germany since 1 January 2025 (10 for books and annual accounts), at least 5 years after the Self Assessment deadline for UK sole traders, 6 years for UK limited companies and VAT records, and 6 years in Ireland. The sources are linked above; check with your tax adviser for your situation.

Does InvoiceSnap keep my receipts?

No. The image is read by Google Gemini and then discarded; we never store it on our servers. Your results stay in your browser. Keep your own originals, and use the InvoiceSnap export as your list and totals.

Can I throw away the paper after photographing it?

That depends on the country and your situation. In the Netherlands, ask the Belastingdienst if you're unsure. In Germany, check the GoBD conditions with your Steuerberater. In the UK a scan can replace a paper VAT invoice if it holds all the required detail. We can't tell you; your tax adviser can.

What should I keep next to the originals?

The spreadsheet InvoiceSnap exports: one row per receipt with date, supplier, net, VAT per rate and gross. It makes your totals quick to find, but the receipts themselves are what you keep.

How much does it cost?

5 scans a month are free, with no account. After that, credit packs start at €4 for 20 scans and never expire. There's no subscription.

Guide · Keeping receipts

How long to keep receipts, and is a photo enough?

The short answer: 5 to 8 years for receipts, depending on the country, and you keep the receipt itself, on paper or as a complete, readable scan. InvoiceSnap turns receipt photos into a spreadsheet, but it does not keep the receipts. You do.

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What you get

invoicesnap-apr-2026.xlsx3 rows · 9 columns

Vendor	Date	Category	Subtotal	Tax	Total	Currency	VAT 19%	VAT 7%
Café Lindner	2026-04-14	Meals	11.50	2.19	13.69	EUR	2.19
Stadtmarkt	2026-04-15	Groceries	23.40	2.12	25.52	EUR	0.76	1.36
Nordbahn	2026-04-17	Travel	40.00	2.80	42.80	EUR		2.80

What InvoiceSnap gives you: a list with date, supplier, net, VAT per rate and gross. It sits next to your receipts; it doesn't replace them.

How it works

01
Keep the original
Keep the paper receipt, or a complete and readable photo or scan, in your own folder or drive. Typed-in numbers are not a copy of the receipt.
02
File it the same way every time
One folder per year and month, and a file name like Date_Supplier_Amount (2026-04-14_Cafe-Lindner_13-69.jpg). Years later you can find a receipt in seconds.
03
Turn the photos into a sheet
InvoiceSnap reads the photos and gives you date, supplier, net, VAT per rate and gross as a spreadsheet. We discard the image after reading it, so save the export next to your originals.

The rules, country by country

Netherlands: 7 years

Keep the basic records, including purchase and sales invoices and receipts, for 7 years. Records about real estate, such as business premises, 10 years. Paper or digital is fine, as long as it is usable in an audit and a scan is a complete, readable copy. If you're unsure whether you may throw away paper originals, ask the Belastingdienst. Source: ondernemersplein.overheid.nl/wetten-en-regels/administratie-bijhouden-en-bewaren/

Germany: 8 years for receipts

Since 1 January 2025 receipts and invoices (Buchungsbelege) must be kept for 8 years, before that 10. Books, records, inventories and annual accounts: still 10 years. Business letters sent and received: 6 years. The period starts at the end of the calendar year in which the document arose or was received. Sources: § 147 AO (gesetze-im-internet.de/ao_1977/__147.html) and § 14b UStG (gesetze-im-internet.de/ustg_1980/__14b.html).

United Kingdom: 5 or 6 years

Sole traders keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January Self Assessment deadline of the tax year they relate to, longer if a return was late or HMRC is checking it. Limited companies keep them for 6 years from the end of the financial year. VAT-registered businesses keep VAT records for at least 6 years. Sources: gov.uk/keeping-your-pay-tax-records/self-employed-records, gov.uk/running-a-limited-company/company-and-accounting-records and HMRC VAT Notice 700/21 (gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-70021-keeping-vat-records).

Ireland: 6 years

Keep business and VAT records for 6 years, longer for property or an open Revenue enquiry. Source: revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-records-invoices-credit-notes/vat-records-to-be-kept/how-long-keep-records.aspx

Photo or scan instead of paper

Records can be paper or digital if they are accurate, complete and readable. In the UK a scan can replace a paper VAT invoice if it holds all the required detail, but typing the figures into software does not count as a copy. In Germany a scan must match the original, stay available and readable, and the GoBD set further conditions for replacing paper, such as a written description of how you scan (Verfahrensdokumentation). Ask your tax adviser before you throw paper away.

What InvoiceSnap does and doesn't do

It reads a receipt photo and returns date, supplier, net, VAT per rate and gross to your browser. The image is read, then discarded; we don't store it and we are not an archive. Your results stay in your browser until you export or delete them.

Rules change

These are the rules as the linked sources publish them in November 2026, not tax advice. Check with your tax adviser, the Belastingdienst, HMRC, Revenue or your Steuerberater for your situation.

Questions

How long do I have to keep receipts?: It depends on the country: 7 years in the Netherlands (10 for real estate), 8 years for receipts in Germany since 1 January 2025 (10 for books and annual accounts), at least 5 years after the Self Assessment deadline for UK sole traders, 6 years for UK limited companies and VAT records, and 6 years in Ireland. The sources are linked above; check with your tax adviser for your situation.
Is a photo of a receipt enough?: It can be, if it is a complete, readable copy of the whole receipt. Dutch rules allow digital records that are usable in an audit; in the UK a scan can replace a paper VAT invoice if it holds all the required detail. In Germany the GoBD add conditions, so ask your Steuerberater before you throw paper away. A spreadsheet of typed numbers is not a copy of a receipt.
Does InvoiceSnap keep my receipts?: No. The image is read by Google Gemini and then discarded; we never store it on our servers. Your results stay in your browser. Keep your own originals, and use the InvoiceSnap export as your list and totals.
Can I throw away the paper after photographing it?: That depends on the country and your situation. In the Netherlands, ask the Belastingdienst if you're unsure. In Germany, check the GoBD conditions with your Steuerberater. In the UK a scan can replace a paper VAT invoice if it holds all the required detail. We can't tell you; your tax adviser can.
What should I keep next to the originals?: The spreadsheet InvoiceSnap exports: one row per receipt with date, supplier, net, VAT per rate and gross. It makes your totals quick to find, but the receipts themselves are what you keep.
How much does it cost?: 5 scans a month are free, with no account. After that, credit packs start at €4 for 20 scans and never expire. There's no subscription.

InvoiceSnap in brief

Price: 5 free scans a month, no account needed. Then one-time packs: 20 scans for €4, 100 for €15 or 500 for €60. No subscription.
Credits: Never expire. Unused credits can be refunded on request within 14 days of purchase.
Receipt photos: Location data stripped on your device, then read by Google Gemini under its API terms and discarded. Never stored on our servers.
Your results: Saved in your browser, on your device only. Export or delete them any time.
Files: JPG, PNG, HEIC and PDF (first page), up to 50 per upload.
Exports: Excel (.xlsx), CSV in your region's number format, Xero and QuickBooks import files, and JSON.

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