General information, not legal advice
Don't rely on WhenToDelete as your only source, or in place of advice. Each entry describes what a law says about keeping or destroying a kind of record. It does not tell you whether the law applies to your organisation, how it interacts with other obligations, or whether you can dispose of a particular record. For that, get advice that takes your circumstances into account.
Read the whole requirement
A retention period only makes sense with the event that starts it, the organisations it applies to, and its conditions and exceptions. Other laws, an ongoing need for the record, a dispute or a legal hold can all require you to keep a record for longer.
No permission to destroy records
A period shown on WhenToDelete, or the expiry of that period, does not establish that a particular record can lawfully be deleted, destroyed or de-identified. A destruction duty shown here also needs to be read with its conditions, exceptions and any other applicable obligations.
Before disposing of a record, independently assess the requirements that apply to your organisation and that record, including other laws, contractual obligations, investigations, actual or anticipated disputes, and legal holds or other preservation requirements. Get professional advice where needed.
A selected reference
WhenToDelete covers selected common Australian business records and requirements. It is not a complete inventory of applicable laws or a retention schedule for your organisation. A matching entry, or the absence of an entry, does not establish your organisation's compliance.
Check the source
Every entry links to the official text of the law. The law changes, and the official text is the authority. Each provision shows the date of the version it was taken from.
No guarantee
We work to keep the register accurate and current, but we can't guarantee it is complete, error-free or up to date. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for loss arising from reliance on it. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded.
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These terms govern your use of WhenToDelete. ScheduleOne is a separate product, and its services are governed by its own applicable terms. Links to or descriptions of ScheduleOne on this site do not replace those terms.
Using the content
You are welcome to share links to any page. The site's own content, including its summaries, notes and design, belongs to Better Frameworks Pty Ltd and may not be copied in bulk or republished without permission.
Legislation text from the Federal Register of Legislation, © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Extracts are reproduced as published; formatting has been simplified.
Who runs this site
WhenToDelete and ScheduleOne are owned and operated by Better Frameworks Pty Ltd. These terms may change; the current version is always on this page.