Bookkeeping rules decide where a subsidiary's ledgers may sit, in what language, and how long every invoice must be kept. Retention periods range from 5 years in Singapore to 7 in the UAE and 10 in Germany and France, and company law and tax law often set different periods in the same country. Germany and Saudi Arabia expect books to be kept in the country unless conditions are met, which matters for shared service centres and cloud systems.
Retention periods differ by country and by law
The UK has two clocks: company law requires a private company to keep accounting records for three years (six for a public company), while HMRC expects records to be kept for 6 years from the end of the financial year, longer in some cases. Germany requires books, accounts and management reports to be kept for 10 years, accounting vouchers for 8 years and business letters for 6 years. France keeps accounting books and supporting documents for 10 years, with 6 years under tax law.
The UAE corporate tax law requires records to be kept for seven years after the end of the tax period, overriding the general tax procedures period, and Singapore's tax authority requires at least 5 years. A group retention policy built on the longest applicable period avoids having to track each country separately.123456
Where the books may be kept
UK company law lets directors keep accounting records at the registered office or anywhere they think fit; records kept outside the UK must be supported by accounts and returns sent to and kept in the UK. German tax law starts from the opposite position: books must be kept in Germany, electronic books may be kept elsewhere in the EU, and keeping them outside the EU requires prior approval from the tax office, with full data access guaranteed.
Saudi income tax rules allow ZATCA to assess on a discretionary basis where accurate books are not kept inside the Kingdom. Moving the ledger of a Saudi or German entity to a group shared service centre in another country therefore needs checking before migration.178
Language and currency
German books may be kept in any living language, with the meaning of codes and abbreviations clearly established, but the annual accounts themselves must be in German and in euros. Saudi books kept in a language other than Arabic must be translated when ZATCA asks, failing which it may assess on a discretionary basis.9108
| Market | Retention period | Location rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 3 years (private company law); 6 years for tax | Registered office or elsewhere; returns kept in UK if records abroad | CA 2006 s388; GOV.UK |
| Germany | 10 years books and accounts; 8 years vouchers; 6 years letters | Germany; EU for electronic books; non-EU with approval | § 257 HGB; § 146 AO |
| France | 10 years accounting; 6 years tax | Not researched | Service Public F10029 |
| Singapore | At least 5 years (tax) | Not researched | IRAS |
| UAE | 7 years after the tax period | Not stated | Decree-Law 47 of 2022 Art. 56 |
| Saudi Arabia | Not stated in the text read | Books inside the Kingdom; Arabic on request | Income Tax Implementing Regulations Art. 16 |
Decisions to make
- Which retention period will the group policy adopt?3456Periods run from 5 to 10 years, and a single policy at the longest period is simpler than country-by-country tracking.
- Will the ledger or archive be hosted outside the country of the entity?78Germany requires approval for electronic books outside the EU and Saudi law expects books inside the Kingdom.
- In which language will books and supporting documents be kept?98German accounts must be in German, and Saudi books in another language must be translated on request.
- Do tax and company law set different periods for the same records?21In the UK the tax period of 6 years is longer than the 3-year company law period for a private company.
Documents usually needed
- Group record retention policy with a country schedule
- Data hosting map showing where ledgers, invoices and archives are stored
- Approval from the German tax office where electronic books are kept outside the EU
- Procedure documentation explaining codes and abbreviations in the ledger
- Translation procedure for books kept in a language other than the local one
Common mistakes
- Deleting records after the company law period while the longer tax period is still running
- Migrating a German ledger to a non-EU data centre without prior approval
- Keeping Saudi books only outside the Kingdom
- Assuming the shortest group retention period applies everywhere
- Not documenting the meaning of system codes, which German law requires
Questions businesses ask
Can a German subsidiary's books be kept in the parent's ERP outside the EU?
Only with prior approval of the competent tax office on application, with full data access for the authority. Within the EU no approval is needed for electronic books.7
How long must a UAE company keep its records?
Seven years following the end of the tax period to which they relate, under the corporate tax law.5
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- India: books of account location and the 8-year retention rule under the Companies Act 2013 could not yet be checked.
- Singapore: the Companies Act 1967 section 199 retention and language rules could not yet be checked; only the IRAS 5-year summary was read.
- Saudi Arabia: the retention period under the commercial books rules was not confirmed.
- UAE: Commercial Companies Law and free zone record-keeping rules were not researched.
- Germany: tax retention periods under § 147 AO could not yet be checked.
- France: rules on keeping records abroad were not researched.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
UK company law requires accounting records to be kept at the registered office or another place the directors think fit; if they are kept outside the UK, accounts and returns must be sent to and kept in the UK, and the records must be preserved for three years (private companies) or six years (public companies). Companies Act 2006, subject to insolvency rules. The tax retention period of 6 years (ars-bookkeeping-rules-001) is longer for private companies.
For tax purposes a UK limited company must keep its records for 6 years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to, and longer in some cases. Longer where records cover more than one accounting period, relate to assets expected to last more than 6 years, the Company Tax Return was late, or HMRC has started a compliance check.
German merchants must keep books, inventories, annual and consolidated accounts and management reports for 10 years, accounting vouchers (Buchungsbelege) for 8 years, and business letters received and sent for 6 years. HGB; credit institutions, insurers and certain securities institutions keep vouchers for 10 years. Tax law (§ 147 AO) has its own periods, not checked here.
In France accounting books and supporting documents such as invoices must be kept for 10 years from the close of the financial year. Code de commerce article L123-22. Documents on which the tax authority can exercise its audit rights must be kept for 6 years (Livre des procédures fiscales article L102 B), extended to 10 years for concealed activity.
A UAE taxable person must keep all records and documents for seven years following the end of the tax period to which they relate. Federal corporate tax, mainland and free zones; overrides the Tax Procedures Law period. Exempt persons must keep records that show their exempt status for the same period.
Singapore companies must maintain proper records and accounts of business transactions for at least 5 years from the relevant year of assessment. Income tax record-keeping; Companies Act retention and language rules could not yet be checked.
Only the page summary rendered; the detailed guidance could not yet be checked.
Under German tax law books and records must be kept in Germany; electronic books may be kept in one or more other EU Member States, and in a non-EU country only with the prior approval of the competent tax office on written or electronic application. Approval outside the EU requires disclosure of the system location or service provider, compliance with filing and cooperation duties, full data access for the authority, and no impairment of taxation; it must be revoked if taxation is impaired.
For Saudi income tax, failure to keep accurate books and records inside the Kingdom, or keeping them in a language other than Arabic and not translating them when ZATCA requires, allows ZATCA to make a discretionary assessment. Income tax payers. Books must also follow the form required under the commercial books rules. A retention period was not stated in the text read.
The ZATCA-hosted Implementing Regulations file is largely in Arabic.
German commercial books and other required records must be kept in a living language, and the meaning of any abbreviations, figures, letters or symbols used must be clearly established. Books may be kept in a language other than German, but the annual accounts themselves must be in German (§ 244 HGB). Tax authorities may require translations.
German annual financial statements must be prepared in the German language and in euros. Every merchant (Kaufmann) preparing annual accounts under the HGB, including German subsidiaries and GmbHs of foreign groups.
Questions on this topic
9 statements on bookkeeping rules: language, currency, retention and location
