Appropriate Use Policy

PayStubVault exists to document genuine, earned income. This page explains what that means in practice, what we will not help with, and what we do when we see misuse.

Last updated: June 26, 2026

Our Commitment

PayStubVault is a documentation aid for income that has already been earned from a real source. We calculate, format, and deliver pay stubs based on information you provide about work you actually performed or services you actually delivered. We do not help anyone fabricate income or misrepresent earnings to any third party.

Appropriate Uses

PayStubVault is designed for these legitimate purposes:

  • Self-employed professionals documenting earnings for personal loan, mortgage, or rental applications.
  • Small business owners generating pay stubs for employees without a dedicated payroll service.
  • Freelancers and 1099 contractors creating records for accountants, bookkeepers, or tax preparers.
  • Replacing a lost pay stub from a current or former employer, when you can attest that the underlying income is genuine.
  • Creating templates for recordkeeping, internal accounting, or financial planning where the underlying income is real.
  • Generating year-to-date earnings documentation based on records you already maintain.

Prohibited Uses

You may not use PayStubVault to:

  • • Document income you have not actually earned from a real source.
  • • Inflate earnings, hours worked, or employment dates on any document.
  • • Mislead lenders, landlords, employers, insurers, or government agencies.
  • • Generate documents using fabricated employer names, EINs, or Social Security Numbers.
  • • Create pay stubs to support a fraudulent loan, lease, benefit claim, immigration petition, or court filing.
  • • Resell or redistribute generated pay stubs as if issued by a licensed payroll provider.

Legal Context

Fabricated income documents are taken seriously by U.S. federal and state enforcement authorities. PayStubVault is published with awareness of the following frameworks, which inform our appropriate-use policy:

  • Federal wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343): Schemes involving fabricated income documents used to obtain money or property through electronic communications are routinely prosecuted as wire fraud.
  • Bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344): Using falsified pay stubs to obtain credit, a mortgage, or any extension of credit from a financial institution is a separate federal offense.
  • Mortgage fraud (FBI and FinCEN): The FBI treats income misstatement in mortgage applications, including inflated pay stubs, as a category of mortgage fraud subject to federal investigation.
  • State wage and hour law: Many states have specific statutes governing pay stubs and wage statements. PayStubVault is not a substitute for employer-issued wage statements where state law requires them.

This page is informational and not legal advice. If you have questions about whether a specific use is lawful, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.

What PayStubVault Is Not

Not an official W-2

IRS Form W-2 is issued by employers for tax filing. PayStubVault pay stubs are documentation aids, not W-2 substitutes.

Not a 1099-NEC

Independent contractor income is reported on Form 1099-NEC by the paying party. Generated pay stubs do not replace this IRS form.

Not a state wage statement

States like California (Labor Code § 226) and New York require specific itemized wage statements from employers. PayStubVault does not issue these.

Not a payroll service

PayStubVault does not file taxes, remit withholdings, or interact with the IRS or state agencies on your behalf.

Not affiliated with the IRS

Documents are formatted to IRS standards for consistency, but PayStubVault is not endorsed by, approved by, or affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service.

Not legal or tax advice

Calculations are based on publicly published federal and state tax tables. We are not a CPA firm, law firm, or enrolled agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PayStubVault legal?+
Yes. PayStubVault is a legal payroll documentation tool. It generates pay stubs based on data you provide about income you have genuinely earned from a real employer, client, or business. It is the same as filling out a pay stub template by hand, just faster and formatted correctly.
Can I use PayStubVault to fake income for a loan or rental application?+
No. Using PayStubVault to document income you did not earn is fraud, violates our Terms of Service, and may violate federal and state law. We do not support, condone, or facilitate this use, and we report confirmed misuse when we encounter it.
Is a PayStubVault pay stub the same as an official W-2 or 1099?+
No. A pay stub generated by PayStubVault is a documentation aid. It is not an official IRS form, not a state wage statement, and not a substitute for documents issued by an employer, payroll provider, or the IRS. For tax filing, use the official forms your employer or client provides.
When is it appropriate to use PayStubVault?+
Common appropriate uses include: documenting self-employment income for a personal loan application, recreating a lost pay stub for proof of past income, providing pay stubs to a bookkeeper or accountant, generating templates for a small business with no payroll service, and demonstrating expected income in a budget or rental application when you have a verified income source.
Does PayStubVault verify that the income I enter is real?+
No. We do not verify income. By using the tool, you confirm that all information you enter reflects income you have genuinely earned. Misrepresenting income to lenders, landlords, or government agencies is your legal responsibility, not ours.
What happens if I try to use PayStubVault for fraud?+
We reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, and report suspected fraudulent activity to the relevant authorities. Fabricated income documents are a form of fraud and may be prosecuted under federal law, including 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (fraud by wire, radio, or television) and similar state statutes.

Reporting Misuse

If you believe PayStubVault has been used to generate a fraudulent document that was presented to you, please contact us with the relevant details and we will investigate. Reports are reviewed by a human and treated confidentially.

Email: support@paystubvault.com

To report suspected income fraud against a federal program, contact the U.S. government fraud reporting portal. To report suspected mortgage fraud, contact the FBI Tips line.

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