MW 'They upset me every time I see them': How long do I keep my mother's IRS and medical records? She died 4 years ago.
By Quentin Fottrell
'Her low income did not require her to file taxes, and once she moved to the care facility, I got her on Medi-Cal'
"I saved every piece of paper related to MedIcare, Medi-Cal, hospice and pretty much any other random piece of paper." (Photo subject is a model.)
Dear Quentin,
My mother passed away four years ago. She had Alzheimer's and I cared for her at my home for eight years, before moving her into a 24-hour facility.
She had no assets prior to moving in with me, and acquired none once she did move in with me. While she was with me, she only had Social Security and a very small pension. Her low income did not require her to file taxes, and once she moved to the care facility, I got her on Medi-Cal, so her Social Security and pension were paid as her cost share for the facility.
For all the years she was both with me and in the facility, I saved every piece of paper related to MedIcare, Medi-Cal, hospice and pretty much any other random piece of paper that related to her. Do you think I'm safe to shred them all now?
They not only take up a lot of space, they upset me every time I see them. Any reason to keep them? Obviously, I will keep her death certificate or any other legal documents.
The Son
Related: 2025 has been one hell of a year. Consumers should expect more 'silent pain' in 2026.
You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at qfottrell@marketwatch.com. The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.
Scan/keep the most recent correspondence from each organization and the reference numbers and your mother's Social Security number, and store them somewhere safe.
Dear Son,
You have done your duty, taken your mother's estate over the finish line, and then some.
The main reason to keep your mother's documents is to address potential issues with the Internal Revenue Service in the event of an audit and with Medi-Cal if financial or legal questions arise about her insurance. For these reasons, most lawyers recommend keeping these records for seven years, based on statutes of limitations and the IRS audit window.
Given that your mother did not have to pay taxes given her income and that her Social Security and Medi-Cal were used to pay for her care, I would shred the majority of these documents, but scan/keep the most recent correspondence from each organization and the reference numbers and your mother's Social Security number, and store them somewhere safe.
You can retain important reference numbers without having boxes of documents in your home reminding you of what was, no doubt, a traumatic time in your life. You wish to remember your mother's best days and fill your life with happy memories, but you also want peace of mind. Keeping a sparse digital file on your computer would do the job just the same.
Keep your mother's death certificate - retain the original and a scanned copy - and your her Social Security number stored securely, as well as final or closing correspondence from Medi-Cal, Medicare, Social Security and any pension administrator. Retain documents labeled "final notice," "case closed" or "no further action required," plus case numbers.
A conservative estimate
Tara Hendison, an attorney and certified trust and financial adviser, recently wrote about the importance of keeping documentation, but the reasons to keep records for seven years or more is directly proportional to the risk of legal action and/or audits. That is a conservative estimate. Your late mother's records appear to be at the very lowest end of the risk spectrum.
"The Internal Revenue Service can audit a return for three years after it is filed if it suspects a good-faith error; the IRS has six years to challenge your return if it thinks it possible that there is underreported gross income by 25% or more," she writes. (Given that your mother did not file tax returns suggests an audit is highly unlikely four years after her death.)
"Medical records should be retained for at least seven years from the date of the last entry or the date of the last health service," she adds. "These records can be important for understanding inherited health conditions or for legal purposes. Personal documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates and divorce decrees should be kept indefinitely."
Reasons for keeping documents
It can be costly and time consuming to replace certain documents. "These documents can also be valuable for family genealogy. Most estate papers should be kept for at least seven to 10 years after the estate is settled. This includes wills, trusts, deeds and titles. Consult with your estate-planning attorney before disposing."
All other paperwork can be shredded with confidence. This includes Medicare and Medi-Cal explanations of benefits, monthly statements, hospice and medical visit records, and all duplicates. As a general rule, if the paperwork arrived regularly in the mail and did not require action, it can be safely discarded.
The hard work has been done, both in terms of your mother's care and taking care of her finances and legal affairs upon her death. The emotional labor of sorting through a loved one's possessions and, especially, their paperwork is easy to overlook. The time has come to create a digital folder with account numbers and most recent correspondence.
Email it to yourself and/or store it on your computer, and move on with your life. So much of our memories are stored digitally. It may be time to reverse that practice: print out the happiest photos of your mom and frame them, and store the most painful memories in a file far, far away in the depths of your iCloud, and move on with your life.
Your mother was fortunate to have such a dedicated and responsible son who cared for her right up to the end.
Don't miss: 'It's my money': My $800K inheritance is paying for a $1.6 million house. Shouldn't I decide where my husband and I live?
Check out the Moneyist private Facebook group, where members help answer life's thorniest money issues. Post your questions, or weigh in on the latest Moneyist columns.
Previous columns by Quentin Fottrell:
'The house has quadrupled in value': I bought a house with my brother, but he did not contribute. How do I fix this?
My sister is buying our parents' $3 million house, but wants to deduct $100K for renovations. Who's right?
'I'm simply exhausted': I'm 55 and have $1.3 million for retirement. Can I retire next year?
By submitting your story to Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of MarketWatch, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms.
-Quentin Fottrell
This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 27, 2026 10:05 ET (15:05 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments