Store tax and important documents on iPhone
Scan, don't just photograph
Apple's iPhone can scan a page for you. In the Files app, tap the More button, then Scan Documents. Frame the page, adjust the corners, keep the scan, then pick a folder and tap Save. You can also scan inside a note. A scan saved in Files stays out of your photo grid, where a picture of a tax form would sit among your holiday pictures.
Two jobs: protect and keep
- Keep it safe from being lost. A copy in iCloud Drive is on your other devices too. Apple says iCloud Drive is encrypted in transit and on its servers, and Apple holds the keys unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection. Here's what that changes.
- Keep it safe from being seen. If someone can open your iPhone, they can open Files too. For tax returns, IDs and medical papers, add a separate lock. Here's more on passports and on medical papers.
Don't leave the only copy on your phone. If it's stolen, or erased, a document that lived only there is gone.
How long to keep tax papers (US)
This part is only for the United States, and the rules are the IRS's. The IRS says to keep income tax records for 3 years in the usual case, 6 years if you didn't report income that is more than 25% of the gross income on your return, and 7 years if you claim a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt deduction. Keep them indefinitely if you don't file a return, and keep employment tax records at least 4 years. It also says to keep copies of your filed returns. Other countries have their own rules, so ask your tax office.
What FirstHour's Vault can hold
In the Vault, tap +, then Choose from Files. You can choose any kind of file, and several at once. Here's what happens to each:
| Kind of file | What the Vault does |
|---|---|
| Opens inside the Vault, read from memory. Links inside it don't open. | |
| Word, spreadsheets, text and most other files | Stored sealed. To read one, tap Open. It shows read-only in iPhone's Quick Look, using one temporary unlocked copy that's removed when you tap Done, or when the Vault locks. |
| Photos and videos | Go in as pictures and videos, like any other. |
| Web pages and similar (HTML, web archives, SVG) | Stored, but not opened in the Vault. You can save or share them. |
| A PDF with its own password | Stored, but can't be opened in the Vault. Save it to Files or share it to open it elsewhere. |
| Anything over 200 MB | Stored, but too big to open in the Vault. Save or share it. |
You can also tap Take a photo or video to photograph a page straight into the Vault, so it never reaches your camera roll. That's a picture of the page, not a scan like the one Files makes.
What it can't do
- The original stays in Files. FirstHour tells you so after adding a file. Delete it there yourself if you want it gone.
- It isn't a backup. The Vault stays on this iPhone and isn't included in iCloud or computer backups. Without an encrypted backup file you saved yourself, losing the phone or deleting FirstHour loses what's inside. Keep your recovery phrase on paper, because the backup needs it.
- Search can't read inside documents. It looks at names, labels and your notes, not the words inside a PDF or a Word file. Give each document a clear name, with Rename.
- FirstHour's picture check doesn't read PDFs or other files. It only looks at pictures.
- Opening and saving make temporary copies. What iPhone's Quick Look keeps while showing a file is outside FirstHour's control.
- It won't fix a weak lock. Someone who watches you draw your pattern can copy it. A well-chosen pattern can be much harder to guess than a 6-digit PIN, but watching beats both.
To take something out, use Save to Files or Share.
Questions
Should I keep tax documents in the Vault or in iCloud Drive?
You can do both, which is the point. The Vault gives a separate lock on this phone. A copy in iCloud Drive, or a printout in a drawer, covers a lost phone.
Does FirstHour read my documents?
No. It seals them on your iPhone and doesn't read inside them. Search and the picture check don't look at the words in a PDF or Word file.
Sources
- How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Support
- iCloud data security overview, Apple Support
- How long should I keep records?, Internal Revenue Service (US)