How long should a church keep Gift Aid declarations?

For as long as you claim on them, then for 6 years after the end of the accounting period of the last gift claimed. If HMRC opens an enquiry, keep everything until it’s finished.

How long should we keep someone’s details after they leave?

The law doesn’t set a period, so it’s your choice. The template suggests 2 years, which allows for people coming back. Whatever you choose, write it down and stick to it.

Can someone ask us to delete their Gift Aid records?

You can refuse to delete records the law requires you to keep, such as the Gift Aid records HMRC needs. Delete their other details, and explain what you’ve kept and why.

Does a small church need a written retention policy?

The ICO says small organisations with low-risk records may not need a formal one. Church records reveal people’s faith, so a short written policy is a sensible safeguard.

Free Data Retention Policy Template for Churches

How long should you keep a Gift Aid form, or the details of someone who left five years ago? This template lists the records most churches keep, with the legal minimum where there is one. You set the rest.

Free
No sign-up
Word and PDF
Updated 18 October 2026

A starting point, not legal advice. Check it matches how your church works, and ask your denomination or an adviser if you’re unsure.

1. Add your church’s details

Optional. What you type goes straight into the document. It stays on your computer and isn’t sent to us.

Your church’s name

Who runs the yearly review

A role, such as “the church administrator”.

Who approves the policy

For example, “the trustees” or “the church council”.

Date it was approved

For example, 1 November 2026.

2. Download or print

Download Word file

The Word file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages and LibreOffice. Or download the blank PDF.

Preview

Data Retention Policy

[Church name]

Why we have this policy

Data protection law says we mustn’t keep personal information for longer than we need it. This policy sets out how long we keep each kind of record, and what we do when that time is up.

Who it applies to

It applies to everyone who keeps records for the church, including staff, volunteers and trustees. It covers paper, computers, phones, email and shared folders.

How long we keep records

Periods in square brackets are our own choice. The others are set by law or by HMRC.

Note for your church: Change the periods in square brackets to suit your church. Check your denomination’s guidance before you fill in the safeguarding rows. This note isn’t printed, and you can delete it from the Word file.

Record	How long we keep it	Why
People and church life
Contact details and involvement of members and regular attenders	While they’re part of church life, then [2 years] after they leave	Our choice
One-off visitors and enquirers	[12 months] after our last contact, unless they become regular	Our choice
Pastoral notes	Reviewed every [year], and deleted when no longer needed for the person’s care	Our choice
Rotas and service attendance	[1 year]	Our choice
Records of emails we’ve sent	[3 years]	Our choice
Records of consent, such as for emails or photos	While we rely on the consent, then [2 years]	To show we had consent
Requests to see or delete information, and complaints	[2 years] after we close them	Our choice
Our log of data breaches	[6 years]	Our choice
Giving and money
Gift Aid declarations	While in use, then 6 years after the end of the accounting period of the last gift claimed	HMRC
Gift Aid claims, and records of the gifts claimed	6 years after the end of the accounting period they relate to	HMRC
Small Donations Scheme collection records	6 years after the end of the tax year	HMRC
Accounts, bank statements, receipts and invoices	At least 6 years after the end of the financial year	Charity law
Safeguarding
DBS certificates	We don’t keep copies. We see the certificate and record the details in the next row	GOV.UK DBS guidance
DBS check records: date, type, certificate number, role and our decision	While the person is in the role, then [as our safeguarding guidance says]	Safeguarding guidance
Safeguarding concerns, allegations and case files	[As our safeguarding guidance says]. Often decades. Never deleted early	Safeguarding guidance
Children’s and youth group registers, and parents’ consent forms	[As our safeguarding guidance says]	Safeguarding guidance
Staff, buildings and running the church
Payroll records	3 years after the end of the tax year	HMRC
Records of accidents	At least 3 years after the entry. [Longer if our insurer advises, especially if a child was hurt]	Health and safety law
Minutes of trustee and church meetings	Permanently	Church history
Registers of baptisms, marriages and funerals	Permanently, as our denomination requires	Our denomination
Governing document and property deeds	Permanently	Needed for as long as the church exists

Note for your church: Add any records the table misses, such as hall bookings, staff files or CCTV. This note isn’t printed, and you can delete it from the Word file.

When the time is up

Each [year], [the church administrator] reviews our records and deletes or destroys what we no longer need. Paper is shredded. Computer records are deleted, including copies in email, shared folders and on personal devices.

Sometimes we keep a summary with names removed, such as how many people came to a service.

When we keep records for longer

We keep a record past its time if we need it for an HMRC enquiry, a legal or insurance claim or a safeguarding matter. We delete it once that’s resolved.

When someone asks us to delete their information, we delete what we can. We keep only what the law requires, such as Gift Aid records, and tell them why.

Who is responsible

[The trustees] approved this policy on [date]. [the church administrator] makes sure it’s followed, and we review the policy every year.

Why your church needs one

UK GDPR says you mustn’t keep personal information for longer than you need it. The law rarely sets a period, so you have to decide, and be able to explain why.

A written policy makes those decisions once. Volunteers then know what to keep and what to shred, without guessing.

Legal minimums and your own choices

Some periods are set for you. HMRC needs Gift Aid records for 6 years, and charity law needs accounts kept for at least 6 years. Payroll records must be kept for 3 years.

Everything else is your choice, such as how long you keep someone’s details after they leave. The template marks those in square brackets, with a sensible starting point you can change.

Safeguarding records need special care

Never delete safeguarding records to tidy up. Records of concerns and allegations often need keeping for decades, and denominations set their own periods. The Church of England, for example, publishes its own retention schedule.

DBS certificates are different: don’t keep copies at all. Record the details and your decision instead.

How to adopt it

Add your church’s details in the boxes above.
Change the periods in square brackets to suit your church.
Check the safeguarding rows against your denomination’s guidance.
Add any records the template misses, such as hall bookings or CCTV.
Ask your trustees or church council to approve it, and write in the date.
Put the yearly review in the diary.

Mistakes to avoid

Keeping everything “just in case”. The ICO is clear that this isn’t a good enough reason.
Shredding Gift Aid forms too soon. If HMRC asks to see a declaration and you can’t find it, you may have to repay the Gift Aid.
Forgetting email and phones. An old list in someone’s inbox counts too.
Deleting a whole record when part of it must stay. When someone leaves, you can remove their contact details but keep the Gift Aid records HMRC needs.

Questions churches ask

How long should a church keep Gift Aid declarations?: For as long as you claim on them, then for 6 years after the end of the accounting period of the last gift claimed. If HMRC opens an enquiry, keep everything until it’s finished.
How long should we keep someone’s details after they leave?: The law doesn’t set a period, so it’s your choice. The template suggests 2 years, which allows for people coming back. Whatever you choose, write it down and stick to it.
Can someone ask us to delete their Gift Aid records?: You can refuse to delete records the law requires you to keep, such as the Gift Aid records HMRC needs. Delete their other details, and explain what you’ve kept and why.
Does a small church need a written retention policy?: The ICO says small organisations with low-risk records may not need a formal one. Church records reveal people’s faith, so a short written policy is a sensible safeguard.

Sources

This template follows official guidance. It isn’t legal or tax advice, so check anything you’re unsure about with HMRC, the ICO or an adviser.

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