The bank statements or account statements are considered as proof of payment which you will probably have to submit during specific circumstances, such as a separation, a divorce or a settlement of debts. Prove your participation or those steps in court can sometimes be necessary.
Why do you have to keep your account statements ?
It is mainly for the submission of the tax return that you will have to retain account statements as attachments. Even if the audit period of the tax return amounts to 3 years, in case of suspected fraud, that period is raised to 7 years. You will find more information in « Combien de temps garder ses extraits de compte ? » [How long do you have to keep your account statements ? ]
Retention period of the account statements
The FPS Finance recommends keeping for 7 years all documents which could be useful for your tax return (salary slips, pension information sheets, account statements for maintenance allowances, the borrowing certificates, professional costs, if you are a self-employed person…). Most banks allow you, through their applications, to download your bank statements and even go back several years. As to Test Achats [Consumers International], they recommend keeping them for a period of 10 years.
See also « De l’importance de vos extraits de compte » [« About the importance of your account statements »]
