Who may delete
This article describes how to delete your PaperOffice account. It applies to PaperOffice AI and to the PaperOffice PDF Reader (Android, Windows and web). The PDF Reader has no accounts of its own: signing in uses your normal PaperOffice AI account.
Account deletion is self-service under GDPR Article 17. It is available only to the root account (organization owner).
- Member accounts do not see the Delete account navigation item. Removing a single user lives under Users: Remove a user.
- A session acting on behalf of another account (impersonation) cannot run the deletion.
Steps in the web or desktop app
- Sign in to PaperOffice AI in the browser or in the desktop app with the root account.
- Open Settings: https://app.paperoffice.ai/en/paperoffice-account/settings (other languages:
/{lang}/paperoffice-account/settings). - Choose Delete account on the left.
- Start Delete account in the panel and complete the dialog: confirm that the content will be deleted permanently, enter the root account ID and the confirmation phrase, and give a reason.
After you submit, your account and the data of your organization are deleted immediately. You are then signed out.
How to open settings: Open organization settings.
Steps from the PaperOffice PDF Reader
- In the PDF Reader, select Account at the top right.
- Choose Manage account. The account settings of PaperOffice AI open in the browser.
- Continue there with Delete account as described above.
The PaperOffice AI mobile app does not include this item either; use the web app: Delete an account in the mobile app.
What is deleted
The deletion permanently removes the root account and the entire organization, including every associated user. Documents, AI data, workspaces, knowledge bases, workflows, users and related settings are deleted from the application immediately. The stored document files are permanently removed from our servers 30 days after the deletion. Deleted content cannot be restored. If you must keep your own business documents, export them beforehand.
The PDF Reader does not upload files unless you use an AI function. Files you only opened in the PDF Reader stay on your device and are removed when you delete them or uninstall the app.
What is retained and for how long
PaperOffice keeps only the data it is legally required to retain, and only for the legal retention period:
- Invoices that PaperOffice issued to you and the related payment and accounting records: 8 years (German Fiscal Code § 147 AO, Value Added Tax Act § 14b UStG).
- Accounting books and annual financial statements in which your payments are recorded: 10 years (§ 147 AO, § 257 HGB).
- Commercial letters relevant for tax purposes: 6 years (§ 147 AO, § 257 HGB).
- Audit, security and compliance records that serve as legal evidence: for as long as the law requires.
- Backups: data in backups is overwritten with the regular backup rotation.
The periods start at the end of the calendar year. This data is blocked until the period ends and used only for legal obligations; it is then deleted.
Without access to the account
If you can no longer sign in or are not the root account, contact the owner of your organization or write to privacy@paperoffice.ai.
Hand billing to a partner on the same settings page is a different action and does not delete the account.
PaperOffice Classic
This article applies to PaperOffice AI and the PaperOffice PDF Reader. Classic DMS has its own knowledge base and a different product surface.