Companies Act 2006, section 388(4)-(5): accounting records preserved three years (private) or six years (public), subject to insolvency rules (CA 2006 s.388(4)-(5))
Company law's own floor for accounting records is three years for a private company and six for a public one, counted from when each record is made; insolvency rules can change it. Tax law asks for longer (HMRC's six years), so the tax period is the one that binds.
Dated 31 Oct 2026Source checked 31 Oct 2026Basis: primary text
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In the source's own words
“Accounting records that a company is required by section 386 to keep must be preserved by it ... (a) in the case of a private company, for three years from the date on which they are made; (b) in the case of a public company, for six years from the date on which they are made. (5) Subsection (4) is subject to any provision contained in rules made under section 411 of the Insolvency Act 1986”
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