Removing Unused account lines in chart of accounts

[k9vet]

In our chart of accounts we still have lots of old account number lines that we haven't used for several years and won't use again. I can "hide" them by deleting their descriptions in "maintain chart of accounts", but I still can't delete them because message says they have been used in previous transactions. This was once true but no longer relevant.
So they still appear as lines that just take up space in our chart and look "weird" there, and serve no purpose.
How can I remove them totally?

[NeilZ]

In our chart of accounts we still have lots of old account number lines that we haven't used for several years and won't use again. I can "hide" them by deleting their descriptions in "maintain chart of accounts", but I still can't delete them because message says they have been used in previous transactions. This was once true but no longer relevant.
So they still appear as lines that just take up space in our chart and look "weird" there, and serve no purpose.
How can I remove them totally?

You need to delete old data. However, you have to maintain income/expense data for at least 7 years, if I remember what the IRS requires. However, you can set them to be Inactive under the DETAILS for the account, have you tried that rather than delete descriptions, as those descriptions may be needed for any inquiries in the future.