Have you been wondering if you should keep your pay stubs?
It’s a good question. Every time you are paid, you receive a paper pay stub or a digital copy. While keeping them may seem like a good idea, they can also pile up and quickly seem like unnecessary clutter.
However, your pay stubs are important for a variety of reasons. They contain valuable information you should be paying attention to, and they can come in handy for certain situations.
If you have a pile of pay stubs and aren’t sure if you need to keep them or not, here are several reasons why you should.
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1Proof of Income
One of the most common reasons to keep your pay stubs is to use them as proof of income. You may need proof of income for a variety of reasons and pay stubs are one of the most widely accepted documents. If you have lost your pay stubs and need replacements, you can get duplicates by contacting your HR department and asking them to create pay stubs for you.
2Proof of Identity
Just like proof of income, a pay stub can help you prove your identity. The information listed on your pay stub, combined with the fact that your stub is from an employer, is enough to verify you are who you say you are. This is helpful when opening a bank account, submitting an application, etc.
3Filing Your Taxes
While you can use a W-2 form for filing your taxes, there are some situations when you want to file before you have received your W-2. When this happens, you can use your last pay stub of the year to determine your earning history and file your taxes. This is helpful, especially when you want to get a head start on receiving your refund.
4Rental or Credit Applications
If you are submitting a rental or credit application, you may need to provide your last few paystubs. This is a great way to show proof of income for your rental and credit applications. You can also use your pay stubs to prove your identity when applying to be a renter or for a loan or line of credit.
5Your Financial Records
Overall, keeping a record of your earnings is important for a variety of reasons. While you may not need them all the time, it’s a good idea to keep your pay stubs just in case. Ideally, you should keep your pay stubs for one year before shredding them.
These Are the Reasons to Save Your Pay Stubs
There are many reasons to keep your paper or digital pay stubs.
You may need them for proof of income or proof of identity. Your pay stubs are also important when you are filing taxes, submitting a rental application, or applying for credit or a loan. Most of all, it’s important you keep at least one year of pay stubs for your personal records.
Keeping your pay stubs is essential for many reasons.
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