Accounting record batch redaction is the removal of personal data from a whole folder in one run. Companies Act 2006 s.386(1) requires every company to keep adequate accounting records, and s.387 makes a failure an offence by every officer in default. Redaction therefore applies to the copies you share, never to the statutory record. anonym.plus processes up to 20 files at a time on your device, with a shared map so one party maps to one alias everywhere.
When this applies
A close folder holds ledgers, journals, and schedules that name the same payees. One-by-one work risks drift, so a batch run applies the same rule across the set. The originals stay where the retention period in s.388(4) requires them.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Point anonym.plus at the folder on your machine.
- It scans each file for names, accounts, and contacts.
- Built-in OCR reads any scanned pages in the set.
- A shared map keeps repeat payees steady across files.
- Review the summary and fix low-confidence markings.
- Save the clean set locally.
What you need to provide
- A folder of accounting files (CSV, XLSX, PDF, mixed).
- The shared label map turned on for steady results.
- An operator (Replace works well for a close folder).
PII & financial identifiers detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | payee across files → [PARTY_1] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | NI numbers → [NINO] |
| Financial | UK_BANK_NUMBER | accounts → [ACCOUNT] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | emails → [EMAIL] |
| Money | MONEY | amounts → [AMOUNT] |
| Org | ORGANIZATION | supplier orgs → [SUPPLIER] |
Compliance achieved
- Applies one rule across every file, while the records duty in Companies Act 2006 s.386(1) stays with the originals.
- Respects the retention floor in CA 2006 s.388(4): three years for a private company, six for a public one, with CA 2006 s.387 making a failure an offence.
- Supports storage limitation under UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) and the pseudonymisation measure in UK GDPR Art. 32(1)(a).
- Turn the shared map off for a final set: DPA 2018 s.171 makes re-identifying de-identified data an offence. Whole-folder work stays offline.
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Limitations & cautions
A mixed folder of scans and native files leans on OCR for the images, so review low-confidence markings. The shared map can re-link the set if kept; turn it off when you need true anonymity. Redaction never shortens the retention s.388(4) sets on the originals.
Frequently asked questions
How does batch mode keep one payee steady?
A shared map logs each party once, so the same payee maps to the same alias in every file across the folder.
Can I redact instead of retaining records?
No. Companies Act 2006 s.386(1) requires adequate accounting records, s.388(4) sets three years for a private company and six for a public one, and s.387 makes a failure an offence by every officer in default. Redact the copies you share, and keep the originals.
Does batch work upload anything?
No. The whole run is offline, so accounting data stays on your machine.