3rd Annual Shred Event

Johnson & Burge will be hosting our 3^rd Annual Shred Event on Saturday, April 19  at the Long & Foster Oceanfront office located at 800 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach. The Commonwealth Document Management truck will be on site from 9am – Noon to securely shred your paper documents. They also offer hard-drive and other storage media destruction.  This is a FREE service, and all our clients and friends are invited to participate. 

Tax day is here and this is the perfect time of year to gather your documents for shredding.  Here’s why:

1. Protect Against Identity Theft
   Tax documents often contain sensitive info like:

• Social Security numbers
• Bank account details
• Income information
• Addresses and signatures

If these fall into the wrong hands, they can be used to open accounts, file fraudulent tax returns, or steal your identity.

2. Declutter and Stay Organized
   Once you’re done filing and you’ve kept what you need to save, shredding the rest helps reduce paper clutter. Keeping unnecessary paperwork only increases the chance of it being misplaced or misused.
3. Only Keep What’s Necessary
   The IRS recommends keeping tax returns and supporting documents for at least 3 years (sometimes longer depending on your situation). After that, it’s generally safe to shred:

• Old W-2s or 1099s not needed for current records
• Receipts and statements beyond the retention period
• Copies of returns you no longer need

See a full list of what to keep and what to shred below!

4. Legal Compliance (for businesses)
   If you’re a business owner or handle others’ data, you may be legally required to securely dispose of documents containing sensitive information.
5. It’s Smarter Than Just Tossing Them
   Throwing documents in the trash or recycling bin without shredding puts your data at risk. Shredding makes it unreadable and much more secure.
6. Johnson & Burge’s Shred Event is FREE!!!
   Shedding services are typically charged at a per pound of paper rate, while others have a flat fee. For instance, Shred-It charges a flat fee that ranges from $75-$275 depending on volume. Iron Mountain Shredding offers one-time shredding starting at $89.99 for 1-3 boxes.  UPS Store charges $1 per pound with a 3-pound minimum and FedEx charges $1.49 per pound (and trust us, that paper weight adds up!). 

Finally, here’s a comprehensive list of what to keep and what to shred.

✅ KEEP These Documents:

🗑️ SHRED These Documents: