How to Get Check Stubs From Your Employer or the IRS

To get pay stubs from a previous employer, start with the online payroll portal you used while working there, since records often stay accessible after you leave. If your login no longer works, contact the former employer’s payroll or human resources department directly. When the company has closed or won’t respond, the IRS keeps ten years of wage records you can pull for free.

Try the Payroll Portal First

Most employers run pay through a provider like ADP, Gusto, or Workday, and those portals usually hold several years of downloadable stubs. Even after your employment ends, the records themselves stay in the system; what changes is your access. Try your old login before assuming it’s dead. If the portal rejects you, the provider’s site sometimes has a former-employee login path separate from the active-employee one.

If none of that works, the records still exist. Federal law requires employers to keep payroll data for at least three years, so a request to HR should be able to reach them.1U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 21 – Recordkeeping Requirements Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Ask HR or Payroll Directly

A phone call or email to the payroll or human resources contact is enough to start. Ask whether the company has a standard records-request form before writing your own letter; many do.

If you’re writing the request yourself, include:

  • Your full legal name as it appeared in company records.
  • Your employee ID, or the last four digits of your Social Security number, so they can pull the right file.
  • The exact pay periods you want. “January through June 2025” beats “recent stubs.”
  • A current mailing address or email for delivery.

Send the request in a way that creates a delivery record. Certified mail with return receipt gives you a signed confirmation the letter arrived.2USPS. Certified Mail – The Basics For email, use a read receipt. Proof of delivery matters if the employer ignores you and you later file a complaint.

How fast they have to respond depends on your state. Some state laws set deadlines ranging from a few days to several weeks; others set none at all. Where there’s no deadline, follow up regularly by phone or email.

How Far Back You Can Ask

Federal recordkeeping rules give you a rough sense of what your old employer still has. Payroll records must be kept at least three years, and supporting records like time cards and schedules must be kept at least two.1U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 21 – Recordkeeping Requirements Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) So even a job you left two years ago should still have your data on file.

Beyond three years, it’s a question of practice rather than law. Employers aren’t required to destroy old records once the retention period ends, and many hold onto them longer. It’s worth asking.

One important limit: the Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep payroll records, but it doesn’t require them to give you a pay stub.3U.S. Department of Labor. Questions and Answers About the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Whether you have a right to demand copies depends on your state.

If Your Former Employer Refuses

Roughly 40 states have wage statement laws that fill the gap federal law leaves. They vary. Some require an itemized written statement with every paycheck. Some only require the employer to make records available when an employee asks. A few let employees choose electronic or paper. About nine states have no pay stub law at all.

Penalties vary too. Some states impose per-violation fines that grow with repeat offenses; others let employees sue for damages. If your state has a wage statement law and your former employer won’t comply, the state department of labor is where to file a complaint. Search “[your state] department of labor wage complaint” to find the right agency.

When the Employer Is Closed or Unreachable

If the company has shut down, gone through bankruptcy, or just won’t answer, several official records can substitute. None of these are exact copies of a pay stub, but lenders, landlords, and the IRS generally accept them as proof of wages and withholding.

IRS Wage and Income Transcript

The IRS keeps every W-2 and 1099 filed under your Social Security number and will send you a free Wage and Income Transcript covering the past ten tax years.4Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 159, How to Get a Wage and Income Transcript The transcript lists the employer, your total wages, and federal tax withheld. It does not include state or local tax detail.

Two ways to get it:

Social Security Earnings Record

The Social Security Administration tracks your reported earnings every year you’ve worked. Free yearly totals are available through a my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount. For a detailed itemized statement showing individual employers and periods of employment, file Form SSA-7050: $61 for a non-certified copy, $96 for a certified one.6Social Security Administration. Request for Social Security Earnings Information (Form SSA-7050)

Filing Taxes Without the W-2

If tax season arrives and a former employer hasn’t sent your W-2, IRS Form 4852 is the official substitute. The IRS expects you to try to get the W-2 first. If it hasn’t shown up by the end of February, call the IRS at 800-829-1040; they’ll contact the employer and mail you a blank Form 4852.7Internal Revenue Service. Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2 You’ll estimate wages and withholding from whatever you have, like a final pay stub or bank deposits, and describe what you did to try to get the W-2.

Bankruptcy Filings

If the employer filed for bankruptcy, the case documents are public and often include employee wage schedules.8United States Courts. Bankruptcy Case Records and Credit Reporting You can search and view filings through PACER or in person at the bankruptcy clerk’s office. Those records can help reconstruct what you were paid in the period before the company closed.