Receipts: how to photograph, store and keep them (and how long)

Why photograph a receipt the same day

Most till receipts are printed on thermal paper. There’s no ink: a heat-sensitive coating darkens under the printer head. It’s fast and cheap, and it doesn’t last. The UK’s National Archives warns that text on thermal paper can disappear within only a few years and recommends copying it. The US National Archives lists darkening paper and fading information among the signs of deterioration, and notes that thermal paper is still used for cash register receipts.

The coating has also drawn regulators’ attention. Bisphenol A (BPA) was long used as the developer. After a 2014 proposal from France that identified a risk to workers, mainly cashiers, the European Union banned thermal paper containing 0.02% or more BPA from 2 January 2020. According to the European Chemicals Agency, the main replacement is bisphenol S (BPS), projected to make up around 61% of thermal paper sold in the EU in 2022, and BPS is itself under review: in 2019 Belgium proposed classifying it as toxic to reproduction.

The practical takeaway is simple. Take the photo, and the paper stops mattering for most purchases. You handle it less, and a faded receipt no longer costs you anything. Where a store offers an emailed receipt, that’s often the easiest record of all.

How to take a receipt photo you can actually read

You don’t need a scanner. A reasonably recent phone is enough if you follow a few rules.

Three details deserve a closer look.

Glare. Thermal paper has a smooth, shiny printed side. A flash or an overhead lamp can wipe out a whole line in the photo. Move the receipt or the light rather than hoping to fix it later.

Long receipts. For a two-foot grocery receipt, step back until it all fits, or take two overlapping shots. Built-in scanning tools usually beat a normal photo: on iPhone, Scan Documents in the Notes app detects the edges and straightens the page; on Android, the Google Drive app has a scan button that saves a cropped PDF.

Filters. Skip harsh black-and-white filters. They can erase faint digits, and your copy should stay faithful to the original.

What the photo needs to show

A receipt photo is only useful if the important fields are readable. Check these five before you file it.

For business expenses, the IRS says supporting documents should show the amount paid, the date, the payee and a description that shows the purchase was for business. Proof of payment alone doesn’t prove you’re entitled to the deduction, so jot the business reason on the receipt or in the file name.

In Binome360, you snap the receipt and the amount and category are suggested for you. You check, correct anything that looks off, and nothing is saved until you confirm. If the reading is uncertain, say on a faded or handwritten receipt, enter only what you can verify.

How long to keep receipts

There’s no single number. Retention periods follow one logic: keep a document as long as someone can ask you to prove something, or as long as you can claim something.

United States

The IRS’s general rule is to keep records that support your tax return for 3 years from filing. Keep them 6 years if you under-reported income by more than 25% of the gross income on your return, 7 years if you claim a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt deduction, and indefinitely if you didn’t file. Records about property, like home improvement receipts, stay until the limitation period ends for the year you sell it.

Outside tax, the Federal Trade Commission’s household guide suggests keeping receipts and warranties for major appliances for as long as you own them, and shredding ATM receipts and expired warranties.

United Kingdom

HMRC’s rules apply when you file Self Assessment:

GOV.UK’s own example: if you sent your 2022 to 2023 return online by 31 January 2024, keep your records until at least the end of January 2029. For everyday purchases, the time limit for most contract claims in England and Wales is six years (five in Scotland), which is why “keep big-ticket receipts six years” is a common rule of thumb. It’s a rule of thumb, not a legal duty.

Canada

For business and tax records, the Canada Revenue Agency generally asks you to keep records, including scanned images, for six years from the end of the tax year they relate to.

For the rest of your household paperwork, see our guide on how to organize paperwork at home.

Is a photo of a receipt valid proof?

For tax purposes, usually yes, if it’s good enough.

• IRS: Publication 583 says all the requirements that apply to paper records also apply to electronic storage systems: they must be able to index, store, preserve, retrieve and reproduce records in legible form. Revenue Procedure 97-22 sets out the details. A blurry photo with an unreadable total doesn’t meet that bar.
• HMRC: there are no rules on how you keep records. Paper, digital files or software all work, but HMRC can charge a penalty if records are not accurate, complete and readable.
• CRA: paper originals can be disposed of once imaged, but only under an acceptable imaging program, with legible images and documented procedures. If you run a business in Canada, check that your process qualifies before shredding anything.

Tax rules aren’t the only consideration. For a warranty claim or a return, a store may ask for proof of purchase, and a crisp original never hurts. So:

• Everyday purchases: the photo is plenty. It’s there to track spending, not to win an argument.
• Anything under warranty: keep the photo and the original, in an envelope away from heat and light.
• Big purchases: ask for a proper invoice rather than a till receipt. It carries your details and a clear description of the item.

A filing system you’ll actually use

The best system is the one you follow without thinking. For receipts, two levels are enough: year, then category.

On paper, one envelope per year for the receipts worth keeping (warranties, big purchases), labeled with the date you can clear it out. Digitally, one folder per year in whatever storage you already use, with file names you can read without opening the file:

Receipts/
  2026/
    Warranties/
      2026-03-14_ApplianceCo_washer_549.00USD.pdf
    Home/
      2026-09-02_HardwareStore_paint_86.40USD.jpg
    Business/
      2026-09-18_OfficeSupply_printer-ink_client-Rivera_23.10USD.jpg

A date-store-amount name sorts itself chronologically and turns up in a simple search. Keep a second copy somewhere else, on another cloud service or an external drive: losing a phone shouldn’t cost you two years of warranties.

Once a year, go through the envelopes and folders. Receipts for expired warranties, and card receipts already matched to a statement, can go (shred anything with account details). If an accountant needs a year of expenses, Binome360’s exports give you the list in one go.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the best way to scan receipts with my phone?

Lay the receipt flat on a dark surface near a window, with no flash. Use your phone’s built-in scanner (Notes on iPhone, Google Drive on Android) or a receipt scanner app, then check that the total, date and store name are readable before you throw anything away.

Why do receipts fade?

Because they’re printed on thermal paper, a heat-sensitive coating rather than ink. Over time the image fades and the background can darken. Store receipts you need somewhere cool and dark, and photograph them the day you get them.

Can I throw away a receipt after I scan it?

For routine purchases and most tax receipts, generally yes, as long as the scan is complete and readable; the IRS and HMRC both accept electronic records. Keep originals for anything under warranty or high value, and check the CRA’s imaging conditions if you run a business in Canada.

What should a receipt scanner app do?

Read the amount so you don’t have to type it, let you correct anything it gets wrong before saving, file the expense in the right category, and export your records when you need them. You don’t need an app that links to your bank to do any of this.

In short

Receipts fade and get lost; a clear photo taken the same day, filed by year with a readable name, doesn’t. Keep originals for anything under warranty, follow the retention period that applies where you live, and clear things out once a year.

First action: tonight, empty your wallet, photograph every receipt that’s still readable, and put the ones for items under warranty in an envelope labeled with this year.

Sources

• The National Archives (UK), “Identifying Thermal Paper”: cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk; US National Archives, “Paper-Based Records”: archives.gov.
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/2235 of 12 December 2016 (restriction on bisphenol A in thermal paper, REACH Annex XVII).
• European Chemicals Agency, The use of bisphenol A and its alternatives in thermal paper in the EU during 2014–2022, June 2020: echa.europa.eu.
• Internal Revenue Service, “How long should I keep records?”: irs.gov.
• Internal Revenue Service, Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records: irs.gov/publications/p583; Revenue Procedure 97-22: irs.gov.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Protecting your personal information: Which documents to keep and which to shred”, June 2025: consumer.ftc.gov.
• GOV.UK, “Keeping your pay and tax records”: gov.uk/keeping-your-pay-tax-records; “Business records if you’re self-employed: how long to keep your records”: gov.uk/self-employed-records/how-long-to-keep-your-records.
• Limitation Act 1980, section 5 (England and Wales): legislation.gov.uk; Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, section 6: legislation.gov.uk.
• Canada Revenue Agency, Information Circular IC05-1R1, Electronic Record Keeping: canada.ca.
• Apple Support, “Scan text and documents in Notes using the iPhone camera”: support.apple.com; Google Drive Help, “Scan documents with Google Drive”: support.google.com.

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