Do I still have to keep the actual receipt if the AI already categorized it?

Question

Alberta Professional AI School · Accepted Answer

Yes — keep the receipt or a clear digital image of it. The AI’s category is a note about the record, not the record. The CRA generally expects supporting documents to be kept for six years, and an electronic copy can work if it is complete and readable. Have AI sort them; keep the originals or good scans.

Categorising is the part AI is genuinely good at: reading a photo of a receipt, pulling out the vendor, date and amount, and suggesting where it belongs. That saves real time. But what it produces is a summary, and a summary is not evidence.

The CRA’s general rule is that you keep your records and supporting documents for six years from the end of the tax year they relate to. It accepts electronic records, including images of paper receipts, as long as they are complete, legible and kept in a way you can produce on request. A blurry photo you cannot read later does not count, and neither does a line in a spreadsheet that says "fuel — $84".

The practical setup is a habit, not a system: snap the receipt the day you get it, save the image somewhere backed up, and let AI do the sorting from the image. Check its categories once a month — it will confidently file things in the wrong place now and then.

When the rules for your situation are unclear, ask your accountant. AI can explain the jargon, but it is not the one who signs off on your return.

Do I still have to keep the actual receipt if the AI already categorized it?

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