To clear out your paperwork, sort it into three piles (keep the original, scan and keep digitally, recycle), scan what you need with your phone, give each file a clear name and group them by category into a few PDFs. Protect the sensitive ones with a password and back everything up. A quiet weekend between Christmas and New Year is usually enough.
The drawer that no longer closes, the envelopes nobody opened, the guarantee you can never find when the boiler breaks down: the end of the year is the natural moment to deal with it, before the new year adds its own pile.
Why do it at the end of the year?
- The year is complete: statements, payslips and bills now cover a full year, so they file neatly together.
- Some deadlines are coming: in the UK, the Self Assessment deadline is 31 January, and having your records in one place makes that much easier.
- You have a little time: the days between Christmas and New Year are often the quietest of the year.
Step 1: sort everything into three piles
Empty the drawers, folders and envelopes onto a table and sort quickly, without reading everything in detail:
- keep the original: documents you may need on paper, such as birth and marriage certificates, property deeds, wills, or anything with an original signature or seal;
- scan and keep digitally: statements, payslips, bills, contracts, guarantees, receipts for large purchases;
- recycle: adverts, duplicates, expired offers. Shred anything showing your name, address or account details before throwing it away.
Step 2: check how long you need to keep things
There is no single rule: it depends on the document, its purpose and the country you live in. For tax records in the UK, for example, GOV.UK says that if you send your Self Assessment tax return on time, you should keep your records for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year it covers (Keeping your pay and tax records, GOV.UK). The self-employed need to keep business records for longer.
GOV.UK also says there are no rules on how you keep these records: paper, digital copies and software are all accepted. What matters is that they are accurate, complete and readable, so a clear scan works, but a blurred one could cause problems if HMRC asks to see your documents (Keeping your pay and tax records: overview, GOV.UK). Rules differ from country to country: if you file taxes elsewhere, check with your tax authority before recycling any paper.
For everything else, such as guarantees, insurance or utility contracts, the simplest rule is to keep each document while it's still in force, then check the issuer's guidance before getting rid of it. When in doubt, keep the scan: a PDF takes no room in a drawer.
Step 3: scan what you're keeping
Open the mobile scanner on your computer, scan the QR code with your phone and photograph each document. The scan appears on your computer, ready to file. A few habits keep the result readable:
- lay each page flat on a dark, plain surface, in daylight rather than under a lamp;
- hold the phone directly above the page;
- scan one document at a time, so each one can be filed in the right place;
- zoom in on each scan before recycling the paper: figures, dates and names must be easy to read.
For documents you already have as photos, use JPG to PDF. Statements and bills you download from your bank or supplier are usually PDFs already: save them straight into the right folder. If you need a refresher, our guide to scanning documents with a smartphone covers the basics.
Step 4: name and group your files
A good file name is what makes a document findable in three years' time. Choose one pattern and stick to it, for example: year-month, category, issuer. "2026-11_bank_statement-current-account.pdf" will always sort correctly and tell you what's inside.
Then group documents by category and by year: home, bank and tax, work and pay, insurance, health, guarantees. Use the merge tool to combine, say, twelve monthly statements into a single "2026 bank statements" file. If a bundle you received mixes several subjects, split it first, and rotate any page scanned the wrong way round. Our complete guide to combining PDFs covers ordering and checks in detail.
Step 5: protect, lighten and back up
Protect the sensitive files. Payslips, tax records and ID copies deserve a password: the lock tool adds a password and encrypts the PDF. Keep the password somewhere safe, such as a password manager, not in a file next to the PDF.
Lighten the heavy ones. Year-long bundles of scans can get large. The PDF compressor makes them easier to store and send; keep the original if you may need to print it.
Back up in two places, for example your computer and a separate storage drive or account, so one lost device doesn't mean lost documents.
Make it a habit, not an annual ordeal
Once the big clear-out is done, keeping on top of it takes minutes. Create an "inbox" folder for new documents, scan paper as it arrives, and spend ten minutes at the end of each month naming and filing. Next December, the clear-out will take an hour instead of a weekend.
In short
Sort your paperwork into three piles, check how long each type of document needs to be kept, scan what you're keeping with your phone, name and group the files into a few PDFs by category and year, then protect the sensitive ones with a password and back everything up in two places.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents should I keep on paper?
Keep originals of documents that may be required in their original form, such as birth and marriage certificates, property deeds, wills and documents with an original signature or seal. When unsure, check with the organisation that issued them.
How long should I keep my tax records in the UK?
According to GOV.UK, if you send your Self Assessment tax return on time, keep your records for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year it covers. The self-employed need to keep business records for longer.
Is a scanned copy as good as the original?
For your Self Assessment records, GOV.UK says you can keep them on paper or digitally, as long as they are accurate, complete and readable. Other organisations may still ask for an original document, so keep the paper version of anything that might be requested as an original, such as certificates, deeds or signed agreements.
How do I keep scanned documents secure?
Protect sensitive PDFs with a password and encryption, store the password separately, and keep backups in two different places.
How should I name my scanned files?
Pick one pattern and use it every time, for example year-month, category and issuer. Files then sort in date order and tell you what they contain without opening them.