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Annual record retention map

Map the location and responsible custodian of planning source records.

Preparation resource. Record completion does not determine eligibility, deductions or tax savings. Ask your qualified tax professional to resolve the facts and applicable rules.

Build a reviewable record

Map the location and responsible custodian of planning source records.

Define the reporting period and affected owner, entity or property before entering records. For each item, use a source reference that another person can retrieve. Mark assumptions explicitly and assign unresolved items to the person who can supply evidence.

Use the register in a review meeting

Begin with items marked missing or needs review. Confirm whether each affects the decision or merely its timing. Record the question requiring professional judgment rather than selecting a tax outcome from the completion count. Export the register and keep it with the engagement scope and final reviewer response.

Close the loop

After the reviewer responds, retain the source document, written conclusion and implementation responsibility together. Reopen the file if ownership, reporting period, expected transaction or underlying records change.

Your preparation worksheet

Enter a reference to the document, the person who can supply it and the unresolved question. Use file names or locations rather than account numbers or other sensitive information. Entries stay in this page until you close or refresh it. They are not sent to us or saved automatically. Export before leaving.

Record or decisionSource referenceStatusResponsible personOpen question
record set
reporting year
secure location
custodian
missing item

Mark not applicable only after noting why. A collected record can still require correction. Review the exported file before sharing it with your adviser.

Choose the related context

Restaurants

Separate dining, delivery and catering revenue and explain how the owner divides time between operations and management.

Salons and spas

Distinguish employee payroll, chair-rental arrangements, retail products and service income in the source file.

Medical practices

Separate practice collections, owner clinical work, administrative duties and related property arrangements.

Dental practices

Identify clinical equipment, lab charges, associate compensation and owner management time.

Law firms

Describe ownership, compensation arrangements and the timing of collected fees, without exposing client matters.

Consulting firms

Distinguish billable owner work, subcontractor delivery and business development when documenting the operating model.

Software businesses

Separate subscription receipts, implementation projects, contractor work and internally developed product activity.

Construction companies

Describe open jobs, retainage, project costs and the distinction between owner labor and supervision.

Ecommerce businesses

Separate marketplace receipts, inventory, sales-tax collections, returns and platform fees.

Engineering firms

Record project delivery, technical review, management and the mix of owner and employee services.

Marketing agencies

Separate retainers, media spend, project fees and pass-through transactions in the operating file.

Fitness businesses

Distinguish memberships, training, merchandise and arrangements with instructors.

Logistics businesses

Document vehicles, owner dispatch work, drivers and operating agreements.

Manufacturers

Describe production, inventory, owner management and major capital projects.

Home-service businesses

Separate field work, dispatch, maintenance contracts and the seasonal operating cycle.

Franchise operators

Keep franchisor charges, locations and separate legal entities visible in the planning file.

Multi-owner businesses

Document ownership, agreed distributions, capital contributions and decision authority.

Holding companies

Identify actual activities and transactions of each subsidiary rather than treating the group as one bank account.

Source and review boundaries

Use the following primary guidance to frame the questions. The worksheet organizes facts; it does not replace analysis of the relevant year, ownership, elections or state treatment. Record the applicable period, confirm the source version and retain the preparer's written conclusions with the supporting documents.

Published 2026-10-09. Prepared by AE Tax Advisors as an educational record-collection resource.