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What each of these documents actually is, who needs one, and how it compares to the ones people confuse it with.
Pay & Payroll
What Is a Pay Stub? A Complete Guide
A pay stub is a document that itemizes an employee's or contractor's pay for a specific period — gross pay, tax withholding, deductions and net pay. Here's exactly what's on one, who needs one, and how to get one fast.
Read moreWhat Is a W-2 Form? Wage and Tax Statement Explained
A W-2 is the year-end form employers issue that totals an employee's annual wages and the taxes withheld from them. Here's what's on it, who has to file one, and how to replace a lost W-2.
Read more1099 vs 1099-NEC: Which Form Do You Actually Need?
1099-NEC is for nonemployee compensation paid to a freelancer or contractor. 1099-MISC (the general "1099") covers other payment types like rents and royalties. Here's how to tell which one applies to you.
Read moreWhat Is a Voided Check, and How Do You Get One Without a Checkbook?
A voided check is a check marked "VOID" so it can't be cashed, used only to share your bank's routing and account numbers for direct deposit setup. Here's how to get one if you don't have paper checks.
Read moreLetters
What Is a Proof of Income Letter?
A proof of income letter is a short, formal letter confirming how much someone earns, used for rental applications, loans and benefits paperwork when pay stubs alone aren't accepted or available.
Read moreEmployment Verification Letter vs. Proof of Income Letter
An employment verification letter confirms someone's job — title, dates, status. A proof of income letter confirms how much they earn. They're often requested together but answer different questions.
Read moreWhat Is a Salary Verification Letter?
A salary verification letter confirms a specific salary or hourly pay rate, commonly requested by name in mortgage underwriting and visa or immigration paperwork.
Read moreWhat to Include in a Job Offer Letter
A job offer letter confirms the role, pay, start date and basic terms of employment before someone officially joins. Here's what a complete one includes, and whether it's legally binding.
Read moreInvoices & Business
How to Write a Professional Invoice
A professional invoice needs your business details, a unique invoice number, itemized charges, payment terms and a due date. Here's what every invoice should include and how to structure it.
Read moreFreelance Invoicing 101: What Every Invoice Needs
Freelance invoices need the same basics as any invoice, plus clear hourly or project-rate breakdowns and explicit payment terms — since freelancers, unlike employees, have no automatic protection if a client pays late.
Read moreWhat Is a Contractor Payment Statement?
A contractor payment statement is an informal summary of what an independent contractor was paid and when — useful for the contractor's own records, but not a substitute for the official IRS 1099 form.
Read moreIncome Statement vs. Profit & Loss Statement: What's the Difference?
An income statement and a profit & loss (P&L) statement report the same core numbers — revenue, expenses, net income — but a P&L usually breaks expenses into more detail. Here's when you need which.
Read moreGuides
Pay Stub vs. W-2 vs. 1099: Which Do You Actually Need?
A pay stub covers one pay period, a W-2 totals a year of employee wages, and a 1099 reports what a contractor was paid. Here's how the three relate and when each one is the right document.
Read moreHow to Show Proof of Income Without Pay Stubs
Gig workers, freelancers and cash-paid employees often don't have traditional pay stubs. Bank statements, tax returns, signed income letters and profit & loss summaries all work as substitutes — here's when to use each.
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