Belgium Business
Email Retention
Belgium has a range of laws affecting the retention of different document types. For the most part, documents can be divided into groups that must be retained for either 10, seven, five, or three years.
Belgium has a range of laws affecting the retention of different document types. For the most part, documents can be divided into groups that must be retained for either 10, seven, five, or three years.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, and you must not keep personal identifiable information longer than is necessary.
| Retention Period | Document Type/Related Emails |
|---|---|
| 10 years | - Accounting ledger, general ledger, inventory ledger (keep the originals) - Contracts - Employee tests for recruitment and promotion - Data needed for calculation of employees’ pensions – keep for 10 years after last pension payment |
| 7 years | - Accounting books and records, business papers, and other documents needed for tax assessment – keep until the end of 7th accounting year following the taxable period the records relate to. - Invoices, vouchers, and other supporting documents. |
| 5 years | Social documents relating to employees, including data on which a dismissal is based, or data related to payment of salary – keep for at least five years after the end of the employment contract |
| 3 years | Documents supporting your accounting books not involving third parties – keep either copies or originals |
Sources: Armaedfoundation.org skslegal.pl