Leading waste hauler in Sioux Falls, SD emphasizes document shredding during tax season
Home and office shredders don’t always get the job done. Not only do you have to babysit the project, feeding a few pages through at a time, but also a bag of shredded paper can also be more of a target for thieves.
ax season comes with an extra dose of confidential information and documents that need to be protected against fraud. Among other factors, the wealth of employment records and social security numbers in the trash during tax season amplifies the risk of fraud and stolen information. Document shredding plays a vital role to ensure privacy compliance (for businesses), avoid identity theft (for individuals) and safeguard confidential information.
“There are many reasons to shred confidential information after it is no longer needed – from security and safety, to privacy protection and recycling,” says Butch Hanssen of Dakota Data Shred. Dakota Data Shred is a division of the leading Sioux Falls garbage collection and recycling company, Novak Sanitary Service.
Do shred: Most tax returns and records should be kept for at least seven years in case of an audit, but should then be securely destroyed. Bank statements, credit card statements, canceled checks and ATM receipts can be destroyed after one year, unless they are supporting your tax records. There are several other household papers that should be destroyed after use as well, including pay stubs and credit card pre-approval letters or applications.
Do NOT shred: Be sure to keep all legal documents like wills and insurance policies in a secure fireproof place. Also, hold on to records of contribution to non-deductible investment accounts in order to make sure you don’t end up paying more taxes than necessary in the future. Unfortunately, it is not always safe to assume that records of these things are kept elsewhere.
NAID AAA Certified shredding companies, like Dakota Data Shred, follow strict guidelines for confidentiality and security to ensure that the documents can never be reconstituted.
Whatever your tax preparation and file purging entail this season, be sure to remember your privacy and keep your confidential information secure.
Shredding services in Sioux Falls:
Dakota Data Shred service is FREE to residential Novak Sanity Service customers. Local businesses benefit from free shredding estimates, certificates of destruction, HIPAA compliance, a variety of service options and more.
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