Take it from someone who has a hoard of legal accordion files stashed away in a hope chest: It's a good idea to keep your tax records. However, if you're going through a phase of trying to get rid of ...

Homeowners can learn how long to keep tax records, which documents to save, and when it’s safe to discard them under IRS guidelines.

If you were planning to buy a home or refinance one you already own, you can expect to encounter a lot of paperwork. But here's one thing you probably didn't know: Tax returns aren't always required.