Most employers provide pay stubs to employees on payday. Pay stub laws vary from state to state, but federal law does not actually require employers to provide employees with pay stubs. The Fair Labor Standards Act does require that employers keep accurate records about wages paid and hours worked. Employers must keep the following information on record under federal law. more »

You cannot file taxes based on a last pay stub. You must have a W-2 from your employer, plus any 1099 information forms. more »

According to IRS rules, you are not allowed to file your taxes with a pay stub. You must submit your W-2 with your Income Tax Return. There is a place to attach your forms to the return so that all your paperwork will stay together when it is opened at the processing center. This is a step that cannot be avoided if you mail your return to the IRS. more »

A tax return can be filed based on the result of a pay stub, but the first step in this process is requesting a W-2 form from the employer. Use an old pay stub as a guide when calculating earning for tax purposes with help from a tax bookkeeper in this free video on filing taxes. more »

Pay stubs not only record what you were paid, but the amount that an employer withheld for taxes and for various benefits like health insurance and retirement programs. The discipline required to save your stubs can be parlayed into an overall record-keeping system that could have unforeseen benefits should you become entangled in disputes over the accuracy of any of your personal affairs. more »

Most accounting and payroll software programs make it easy to create and print out check stubs to give to employees along with payroll checks or to show the amount direct-deposited into their bank accounts. However, a small company or independent contractor may use less powerful software or another system, such as hard copy journals, to track payroll. If this is the case, pay stubs can be created and printed on a computer spreadsheet application. more »

When tax season comes around, you may be ready to file your income taxes, but you don't yet have your W-2. If you haven't received your W-2 by mid-February, you can use your last pay stub of the tax year to file your income taxes. more »

Anyone who runs a business with employees has to issue paychecks -- and those checks must be accompanied by pay stubs, which provide information about the total amount of pay and deductions for such things as taxes and health insurance. Many employers opt to outsource this type of work to payroll contractors, but for those enterprising entrepreneurs who would rather not pay someone else to do their work for them, pay stubs can be created in a few steps. more »

Learn how to organize income and assets in this free video. Get financial planning tips and money investment advice whether you're unemployed, self-employed, or have multiple jobs. more »