Active — 2026
This year's live invoices, expenses, and receipts you're working with now.
Freelance finance · Records
Archive closed years without cluttering the current one
Once a fiscal year is filed and done, its records shouldn't sit in the way of this year's work — but you still need to keep them for retention. A read-only archive folder per closed year holds that year's invoices, expenses, receipts, and exports, sealed off from the active workspace. Cash Workspace lets you keep each year's records in its own fiscal-year folder so old years stay accessible but out of the way.
The problem
Why old records create clutter
When three years of invoices and receipts share one workspace, finding this month's documents gets slower and the risk of editing a closed year goes up. A clean archive separates done from active.
- Last year's invoices show up when you search for this year's, slowing everything down.
- You accidentally edit a record from a closed year while reconciling the current one.
- Old exports are scattered, so re-supplying a prior year to an accountant means digging.
- You're unsure how far back you've actually kept records if a question comes up.
- The active workspace feels crowded, so receipts pile up uncategorized.
The workflow
Seal each closed year into an archive
When a year is finished and handed off, move its records into a dedicated archive folder and leave it untouched.
- 1
Confirm the year is closed
Make sure the year's accountant handoff is done and no further edits are expected.
- 2
Create the archive folder
Make a folder named for the year, e.g. 'Archive 2025', kept apart from the active workspace.
- 3
Move the year's records in
Place that year's invoices, expenses, receipts, and exports into the archive folder.
- 4
Treat it as read-only
Stop editing the archived year; if something must change, note it rather than rewriting history.
- 5
Record a retention note
Note which years you're keeping and roughly how long, so retention is intentional, not accidental.
Record structure
What each year's archive should hold
Enough to reconstruct the year if a question ever comes up, without anything from the active period.
- Fiscal year
- The year the archive covers, in the folder name.
- Invoices
- Every invoice issued that year with its final status and dates.
- Expenses
- All recorded expenses for the year with categories and amounts.
- Receipts
- The receipts attached to that year's expenses.
- Exports
- The accountant-ready exports produced for that year's handoff.
- Statements
- The year's bank and platform statements as documents.
- Retention note
- A short note on why the year is kept and roughly until when.
Example setup
An example archive structure
How several closed years might sit alongside the active one.
Archive 2025
Read-only: 2025 invoices, expenses, receipts, exports, and statements.
Archive 2024
Read-only: 2024 records and the handoff export, kept for retention.
Retention notes
A note listing which years are kept and the rough retention period.
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving closed years mixed into the active workspace.
- Editing an archived year and breaking the record you already handed off.
- Archiving invoices and expenses but losing the original exports.
- Deleting old years entirely without knowing your retention period.
- Naming archives inconsistently so the right year is hard to find.
How it helps
How Cash Workspace helps
Fiscal-year folders
Keep each year's records in its own folder so closed years stay separate from the active one.
Keep exports together
Store each year's accountant-ready export alongside its invoices, expenses, and receipts.
An uncluttered active space
With old years archived, the current workspace stays focused on what you're working on now.
Related
Related records and routine workflows
Fiscal-year folder setup
Set up a consistent folder per year from the start.
Year-end cleanup routine
Tidy and close a year before archiving it.
Export and backup checklist
Export and back up records before archiving.
Document folder structure
Organize the whole finance workspace consistently.
All finance workflows
Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.
FAQ
Prior-year archive FAQ
- How should I store records from past tax years?
- Keep each closed year in its own folder — invoices, expenses, receipts, exports, and statements — separate from the active year, and treat it as read-only so the handed-off record stays intact.
- How long should I keep old records?
- Retention periods vary by location and situation, so confirm yours with a qualified professional. Whatever you decide, record it as a retention note so you know which years you're keeping and why.
- Can I still access an archived year if I need it?
- Yes. The year stays in its folder and you can open or re-export it if an accountant or a question requires it; archiving just keeps it out of the active workspace.
Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance
Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.
Keep old years out of the way, not gone
Start a free workspace and seal each closed year into its own read-only archive folder so retention is clean and your active workspace stays uncluttered.