How long should you keep your pay stubs?

Question

Justin Parker · Accepted Answer

You should keep your pay stubs for at least one year. While there is no specific requirement for how long you need to keep your pay stubs, it is a good idea to hold on to them for at least one year. Pay stubs are useful documents. They can be used in several different ways, including:

To provide proof of income
To provide proof of employment
As a reference for tax filing purposes, if necessary

To provide proof of income
To provide proof of employment
As a reference for tax filing purposes, if necessary

You should consider keeping your pay stubs for at least one year for these utilities. They can also help you understand your W-2 tax form or your Social Security contributions during tax time. Once you have filed your tax return, though, it is okay to discard your pay stubs from the previous tax year.

Your tax return is an adequate record of your earnings for that year. You should take care to dispose of your pay stubs properly, such as using a paper shredder or ripping them up thoroughly.

Some employers allow you to store your pay stubs electronically, in which case they can remain there for as long as you like since they are securely stored.

If your employer does provide this option, you could consider using a club-based storage option to store your pay stubs if you want to keep them for more than a year. To do this, you would scan and upload your pay stubs digitally to the cloud.