The pile

Why receipts pile up

Nobody decides to keep a shoebox of receipts. It fills up one receipt at a time.

Each receipt is small, so it is easy to put off: into the wallet, the glovebox, the drawer. The trouble is that a pile gets harder to deal with the bigger it gets. Thermal paper fades, so the oldest receipts are the hardest to read (here’s why receipts fade). And a receipt shows what you bought, never what it was for, so the longer it waits, the less you remember about it.

That matters because the IRS generally expects you to keep records that support the income and deductions on your return, and to keep them for at least three years after you file, longer in some cases. Here’s how long to keep receipts, rule by rule.

How to keep the pile from growing

1. Snap each receipt the day you get it. That is the whole game: one receipt at a time is easy, a hundred at once is not. A clear photo taken at the counter is the copy that stays readable.
2. Add a few words about why. “Printer ink, client proposals” takes five seconds now and saves guessing in April.
3. Keep everything in one place, by month. Month matches your bank and card statements, so checking for gaps takes minutes.
4. Already have a shoebox? Clear it in batches. Sort it into months first, then snap one month at a time. The full routine is in how to keep track of receipts all year.

Not sure which receipts you actually need? Start with do you need receipts for taxes, which checks eight common myths against IRS guidance.

This is general record-keeping information, not tax advice. Your tax professional can tell you what your situation needs.

How to play The Pile

• A ball of receipts bounces inside a ring. Every time it hits the ring, one more receipt lands on the pile and the ball grows.
• Tap anywhere, or press Space, the moment it hits. A small circle closes around each landing: tap before it disappears and that receipt is snapped, so the pile shrinks.
• Tap when nothing has landed and you fumble one, which also grows the pile. Mashing doesn’t work.
• The bigger the pile, the less room it has, so it bounces faster. The bounces also speed up as the year goes on.
• Get through 100 receipts before the pile fills the box. Snap all 100 for a perfect year.
• Watch lets the pile grow with nobody snapping, to see how far it gets.

Questions

Is every run different?

Yes. The starting throw, every bounce angle and every receipt amount are random, so no two runs are the same. In Watch mode, with nobody snapping, the pile usually gets to somewhere between 90 and 110 receipts before the box gives out.

What is the song?

The Can-Can, from Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld (1858), which is in the public domain. Every landing plays the next note, the tune moves up a key each time it comes round, and brass joins when the box is nearly full. Snapping a receipt adds a xylophone note on top.

Once I’ve snapped a receipt, do I still need the paper?

In general, the IRS accepts records kept electronically as long as the copies are accurate, complete and readable. Revenue Procedure 97-22 sets out the standards. If a specific receipt matters a lot, ask your tax professional before you throw away the original.

Does ReceiptNest help with this?

Yes. Snap a paper receipt or forward an email receipt, add a quick note, and ReceiptNest organizes it by month. Export a PDF or CSV for your accountant at tax time. See how the receipt organizer works.

Are there other games?

Yes: Escape the Year, Shoebox Sort, Guess the Charge and Before It Fades. All free, no signup.

Sources and credits

• IRS, How long should I keep records?
• IRS, What kind of records should I keep?
• IRS, Revenue Procedure 97-22, electronic storage of records
• Music: the Can-Can (Galop infernal) from Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach, 1858 (public domain). Sounds rendered with the MuseScore General soundfont (MIT license).