The short answer

Export a small authorized sample and check whether another person can understand it without access to the original account.

Open laptop, pens, and sticky notes on a wooden desk surrounded by houseplants.
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Inspect more than the spreadsheet

Check date formats, amounts, stable record IDs and whether documents come with the export or remain as account-only links. Open the files and compare a few records against the system. Store the sample securely and remove it when no longer needed.

IRS guidance says electronic records follow the same basic recordkeeping principles as paper records. [1]

A file containing “attachment 37” is not useful if attachment 37 is missing. Ask the provider how to export the actual documents before treating the export as a complete exit plan.

Sources

This article was generated by AI using the sources below. Editorial standards.

  1. What kind of records should I keep? — IRSSupports the attributed passage: IRS guidance says electronic records follow the same basic recordkeeping principles as paper records. The practical workflow and labeled examples are the publication’s own applications, not source-reported cases. Source checked Sep 8, 2026.

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