🗓️ Data Retention Schedule Calculator
List your data categories with their collection date and retention period to get each one's disposal or review date, plus a status flag showing what is in retention, due soon, or overdue.
Informational only — NOT legal advice. Consult a qualified data-protection lawyer or your supervisory authority; retention rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time.
🧮 Map your disposal dates
🗓️ Disposal / review schedule
| Data category | Dispose / review by | Days left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer invoices | 2032-01-15 | 2021 | In retention |
| Job-applicant CVs | 2026-03-01 | -125 | Overdue — dispose/review |
| Marketing email list | 2026-07-01 | -3 | Overdue — dispose/review |
Retention periods vary by purpose and jurisdiction — tax, employment, and sector rules often set the floor. Set periods against a documented justification, then dispose or anonymise on schedule. Informational only — not legal advice.
What this calculator does
A retention schedule is the backbone of the storage-limitation principle: it records what you hold, why, and when it should go. This tool turns each collection date and period into a concrete disposal date and flags what needs attention now, so "we'll delete it eventually" becomes a dated action.
Add a row per data category — invoices, applicant CVs, marketing lists, support tickets — and the whole schedule recalculates against today. It is a planning aid; the periods themselves must come from your documented purposes and legal obligations.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the storage-limitation principle require?
GDPR Article 5(1)(e) says personal data must be kept in a form that permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes it was collected. In practice that means defining a retention period for each category of data and disposing of or anonymising it once the period ends. Informational only, not legal advice.
How do I set a retention period?
Start from the purpose and any legal minimum. Tax, accounting, employment, and sector-specific rules often set a floor — for example financial records commonly need to be kept for several years. Beyond a legal requirement, keep data only as long as it is genuinely needed, and document the justification for the period you choose.
What do the statuses mean?
The calculator compares each disposal date against the 'today' you enter. 'In retention' means the period is still running; 'due soon' flags records within 30 days of disposal so you can plan the review; 'overdue' means the retention period has passed and the data should be disposed of, reviewed, or anonymised.
Is this legal advice?
No. This tool is informational only and not legal advice. Lawful retention periods vary by purpose and jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified data-protection lawyer or your supervisory authority to set periods that fit your obligations.