Keeping contracts: 10 years as accounting vouchers

Scope: what exactly applies

Contracts are the case where the ten-year period is regularly thought too short. A continuing obligation — lease, leasing, maintenance, employment contract — substantiates not one entry but every entry across its whole term. The period therefore starts not at signature but at the end of the financial year in which the last entry based on it was made: a lease concluded in 2020 and running to 2030 is in practice needed until the end of 2040. On top of that comes the civil-law side: claims under the contract can stay relevant independently of the accounts. The contract therefore does not belong in the year folder of its signing, but in filing that outlives its term.

When does the period start? An example

A document from March 2026 belongs to the 2026 financial year and remains subject to retention until the end of 2036 — the period runs from the end of the financial year, not from the document date.

In practice with bexio

In bexio, contracts typically land as a file on the contact or — from Optima upwards — in the document archive, not automatically with the journal entry. Filing them locally only loses the link to the entry. quintio continuously mirrors what is stored in bexio into your own Google Drive, where full-text search also finds the contract from 2020 again.

Related retention periods

• Invoices 10 years — insofar as they substantiate an entry
• Real-estate documents 20 years — thereafter until the tax limitation period is reached
• Delivery notes 10 years — only insofar as they substantiate an entry
• Annual and audit report 10 years — signed
• To the retention period calculator
• Retention obligation in Switzerland: who, what, how long

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How long must I keep contracts?

Ten years, insofar as they substantiate an entry (Art. 958f CO). For continuing contracts the period runs from the financial year of the last entry based on them.

Do I still have to keep an expired lease?

Yes, as long as it explains entries from the last ten years. A contract that expired in 2030 is typically needed until the end of 2040.

Is a scan of the signed contract enough?

For the accounts, yes — electronic retention is permitted under the GeBüV. Where the original has evidentiary value under civil law, it is sensible to keep it as well.