The short answer
Merge the documents in the order the form or your accountant expects, then fix any sideways scans and compress the result if a portal has a limit. Because the documents are financial, do it in the browser — none of them need to be sent to a website to be combined.
Runs in this tab, on pdf-lib, so your file is read from your own device and never sent anywhere. Check it yourself
Step by step
- Gather everything into one folder first Statements, invoices, receipts, interest certificates, payroll summaries. Rename anything cryptic now — the merged file keeps no memory of the file names.
- Merge in the order you want them read Drag the files in and reorder the cards. Chronological within each category reads best: all statements, then all invoices, then receipts.
- Straighten anything that scanned sideways Rotating writes the orientation into the file, so it stays right for your accountant rather than only in the viewer where you turned it.
- Compress if a portal demands it Filing systems often cap attachments at 2 MB or 5 MB. Scans shrink a long way; the text layer is untouched, so figures stay selectable.
- Check the total before you file Scroll the finished document once. A missing statement is far cheaper to find now than after submission.
Questions
What order should tax documents go in?
Group by category, then by date inside each group — income, then expenses, then supporting certificates. If your accountant has a checklist, follow its order so nothing looks missing.
Is it safe to combine bank statements on a website?
It would not be if they were uploaded. Here the merge happens in your browser and no part of the documents is sent anywhere, which is the right handling for financial records.
How long should I keep the combined file?
Tax authorities generally expect records for five or six years. One dated PDF per tax year is far easier to store and retrieve than a folder of loose files.
More in Merge & Organize PDF Pages .