New Archives Act in 2027: What Will Change for Financial Administration and Procurement?

Why is there a new Archives Act?

The current Archives Act dates back to 1995. Much has changed since then. Paper files have largely been replaced by digital documents, emails, messages, and workflows. As a result, the existing law does not always align well with the way organizations receive, process, and store information today. The new Archives Act makes it clear that archiving does not begin only when a document is transferred to the archives. Proper information management begins immediately upon receiving or creating a document. From that moment on, it must be clear what the document is, which process it belongs to, and how long it must be retained.

A key change in the Archives Act is the shorter transfer period. Documents that must be permanently preserved will now be transferred to an archival service within ten years. Currently, that period is still twenty years. As a result, important government information will become available sooner to citizens, journalists, and researchers. In addition, government agencies must establish clear management rules. These rules specify, for example, who is responsible for information management, what measures apply to each document category, and how quality is monitored. Not every document needs to be retained indefinitely. Retention decisions determine which information is to be permanently retained and which documents must be destroyed after a specified period.

To which organizations does the Archives Act apply?

The Archives Act applies to government bodies, such as municipalities, provinces, ministries, and water boards. Independent administrative bodies and other organizations vested with public authority may also be subject to the Archives Act. The Archives Act does not automatically apply to regular commercial organizations. However, they must comply with other legislation, such as tax record retention requirements and the GDPR.

Does your organization perform work for a government agency? If so, this does not automatically mean that the Public Records Act applies to your organization. Clients may, however, impose requirements regarding how you process, store, submit, and transfer documents. You should therefore identify in a timely manner which legal obligations and contractual agreements apply to your organization.

What does the Archives Act mean for financial documents?

In financial administration and procurement, documents arrive through various channels. For example, you receive invoices via email, through Peppol, or from a supplier portal. Contracts may be stored in a separate environment, while approvals are handled through a workflow. When information is scattered across different email inboxes, folders, and systems, it takes a lot of time to compile a complete file. It also increases the risk that documents will get lost, not be retained in their entirety, or not be destroyed on time.

From the moment a document is received, it must therefore be clear which process it belongs to, who has handled it, and what retention period applies. The relationship between documents is also important. An invoice without a corresponding order, agreement, receipt record, or approval history tells only part of the story. A search function alone is not sufficient to meet the requirements of the Archives Act. Reliable metadata, version control, access rights, and a complete audit trail are just as important. This allows you not only to locate a document but also to demonstrate where it came from and what actions were performed on it.

How does smart IDP software help with the Archives Act?

Smart IDP software helps organizations centrally receive and automatically process incoming documents. The software recognizes relevant data, determines the document type, and links the document to the correct record, supplier, order, or file. Metadata can also be automatically captured, such as the receipt date, document type, responsible department, status, and retention period. This creates a complete and traceable file from the very beginning. This reduces the risk of information getting lost in email inboxes, personal folders, or disparate systems.

Integrations with financial systems, procurement solutions, and document management systems eliminate the need for employees to manually transfer data. This saves time, reduces the risk of errors, and makes it easier to locate documents. Software does not automatically ensure compliance with the Public Records Act. Clear responsibilities, up-to-date management rules, appropriate retention decisions, and periodic reviews remain necessary. Technology supports the process, but a well-designed framework forms the foundation.

Get Ready for the Archives Act of 2027

The new Archives Act requires you to maintain control over a document’s entire lifecycle—from receipt and processing to retention, transfer, or destruction. Therefore, start identifying now which documents you receive, through which channels they arrive, and where they are stored. Review what metadata you capture and how you apply retention periods. By organizing document processing and archiving as a single, continuous process, you’ll be prepared to meet the requirements of the Archives Act. At the same time, you’ll avoid time-consuming searches, reduce manual tasks, and maintain greater control over your financial and procurement processes.