How to Prove Income If You Have No Pay Stubs
If someone asks you for pay stubs and you don’t have any… it feels like hitting a wall. Whether it’s for an apartment, a car loan, or insurance, they always seem to want the one document you can’t provide.
The good news?
This guide walks you through all the fast, legitimate options that work in 2025.
Why you might not have pay stubs
You’re not alone. Most people without pay stubs fall into one of these groups:
- You’re self-employed or a 1099 worker
- You’re paid in cash
- You lost your pay stubs
- Your employer doesn’t issue them
- You do gig work (DoorDash, Uber, Instacart, etc.)
- You’ve just started a new job
All completely normal.
The best ways to prove income when you don’t have pay stubs
Here are the methods most commonly accepted by landlords, lenders, and dealerships:
- Self-employed pay stubs (fastest)
- Bank statements
- 1099 forms
- Income letter
- Invoices or earnings summaries
1. Self-employed pay stubs (fastest & easiest)
If you don’t have employer-issued pay stubs, you can create your own — legally — as long as the information is accurate.
This is the quickest option and the one that looks the most familiar to whoever is reviewing your application.
Create a professional self-employed pay stub in minutes using your real earnings.
Generate My Pay Stub →2. Bank statements
If your income goes into your bank account, your deposits show the best proof of income.
Highlight or circle them for clarity.
3. 1099 forms
Perfect for:
- contractors
- gig workers
- freelancers
1099s are official IRS documents — lenders accept them immediately.
4. Signed income letter
A simple statement of your income works for:
- landlords
- childcare programs
- schools
- insurance
We have a full template here:
5. Invoices or job receipts
If you perform services, your invoice history can prove your earnings — even if you’re paid in cash.
What if none of these match your situation?
No problem — create a pay stub using your true average weekly or monthly income. It’s fast, clean, and almost always accepted.
You can generate a self-employed pay stub instantly — no employer needed.
Create My Pay Stub →FAQ: Proving Income With No Pay Stubs
Yes — as long as the income you enter is real and based on accurate earnings.
Yes. Millions of self-employed people use them for rentals every year.
No problem — you can still create a pay stub using your actual earnings.
Self-employed pay stubs — they’re clean, simple, and instantly recognizable.
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