Effective Date: September 23, 2026
Stickler 4 Details LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) retains client and business data only for as long as necessary to deliver our services and to satisfy applicable legal and regulatory requirements. This policy describes what we retain, how long we keep it, and how it is disposed of.
This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which describes what data we collect and how it is used.
This policy applies to all personal and business information held by Stickler 4 Details LLC, including information stored in our client portal (SticklerBooks), our internal systems, email correspondence, and paper records.
We apply the following retention periods to different categories of data. These periods are measured from the later of the end of the client relationship or the date the record was created, unless otherwise noted.
General ledger entries, journal entries, account reconciliations, financial statements, and supporting documentation: 7 years. This period reflects the IRS statute of limitations for audits in the most common circumstances. Records related to unreported income or fraud are retained indefinitely.
Documents supporting income tax positions — including income records, expense receipts, depreciation schedules, and carryforward items: 7 years minimum. Documents related to real property, capital assets, or other items with long-term tax consequences may be retained for the duration of ownership plus 7 years.
Employee payroll records, including wages paid, hours worked, tax withholding records, W-2s, and 941 filings: 4 years from the later of the payment due date or the date the tax was paid, as required under IRS guidance. State law may require longer retention in some jurisdictions. Records containing Social Security numbers and similar sensitive identifiers are subject to secure disposal procedures.
Emails, letters, and other correspondence relating to client engagements; signed service agreements and engagement letters: 7 years from the end of the engagement.
Information submitted by prospective clients who do not engage our services: 90 days or less. We do not retain contact information from individuals who choose not to engage us.
Standard server access logs generated by visits to this website: 90 days, retained by our hosting provider in accordance with their practices. We do not actively process this data beyond routine security monitoring.
Login records, access logs, and activity trails within SticklerBooks: 7 years, the same as the financial records they document. Audit trails show who created or changed each record, so they are kept for as long as the records themselves.
Records of payments made to us for services, including invoice history and transaction confirmations: 7 years, consistent with general financial recordkeeping requirements. Full payment card data is not stored by us; it is held by Stripe, Inc. under their own retention policies.
Some data we process is also retained by third-party service providers under their own policies. We have no direct control over the retention practices of these providers, but we enter into data processing relationships only with providers whose practices we consider appropriate.
Payment transaction data processed by Stripe is retained by Stripe in accordance with their privacy policy and applicable financial regulations. Stripe may be required to retain certain records for fraud prevention, dispute resolution, and legal compliance purposes. See the Stripe Privacy Policy.
Payroll data processed through Gusto is retained by Gusto as required by applicable federal and state payroll tax laws and their own data practices. Gusto may retain employee records beyond the period of active service to satisfy legal obligations. See the Gusto Privacy Policy.
If you use the bank account connectivity feature in SticklerBooks, financial account data accessed via Plaid is subject to Plaid’s own retention practices. You may request that Plaid delete your data at any time through their account management tools. See the Plaid End User Privacy Policy.
When a retention period expires:
We do not retain data “just in case.” If there is no legal, contractual, or legitimate business reason to keep a record, we do not keep it.
In the event of litigation, a regulatory investigation, or a formal legal hold notice, we may be required to suspend normal deletion procedures and preserve relevant records beyond their scheduled retention period. Records subject to a legal hold will be retained until the hold is formally lifted.
You may contact us at any time to request information about what records we hold about you or to request deletion of information we are not legally required to retain. Requests for deletion will be processed within 30 days where legally permissible. We will inform you if any portion of a deletion request cannot be fulfilled due to legal retention requirements.
We may update this Data Retention Policy from time to time to reflect changes in applicable law or our business practices. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.
If you have questions about this Data Retention Policy or wish to make a data request, please contact us at:
adam@stickler4details.com