Is it legal to make your own pay stub if you are self-employed?

Yes, completely legal as long as the numbers represent your actual income. Self-employed people regularly create their own pay stubs for proof of income when applying for apartments, mortgages, or loans. The pay stub must reflect real earnings and accurate tax estimates — fabricating income amounts is fraud and illegal. Use a free pay stub generator to create professional-looking stubs that document your real revenue and estimated tax withholdings. Always be prepared to back up your pay stub with tax returns, 1099s, or bank statements if requested.

What if a landlord asks me for a W-2 but I am self-employed?

Explain that you are self-employed and offer alternative documentation. Most landlords accept self-employed applicants with the right paperwork: 2 years of tax returns (Form 1040 with Schedule C), recent bank statements showing income deposits, self-generated pay stubs for recent months, and sometimes a profit-and-loss statement from your accounting software. Some landlords also request a CPA letter verifying income, which costs $100-300. Be proactive — present a complete documentation package upfront rather than waiting for the landlord to request more after rejecting your application.

Can I use a free pay stub to apply for a mortgage?

Sort of. Mortgage lenders accept pay stubs as part of income documentation, but for self-employed borrowers, the full picture matters more than the stub itself. Lenders typically require 2 years of personal and business tax returns, bank statements, P&L statements, and 1099s — pay stubs alone will not qualify you. For W-2 employees, lenders verify pay stubs against the employer directly. Self-generated stubs are useful supporting documents but cannot substitute for tax returns and bank statements in a mortgage application. Work with a mortgage broker familiar with self-employed loans for the best path.

How accurate do the tax calculations on a self-employed pay stub need to be?

Reasonably accurate, but not down to the penny. Self-employed people do not have actual withholdings — instead, they make quarterly estimated tax payments. A self-employed pay stub showing federal income tax withholding is technically a simulation: it shows what would have been withheld if you were a W-2 employee earning that amount. Aim for an effective rate of 15-25% total federal/state/FICA depending on income and state. Big mistakes (showing $0 withholdings on a $10,000 monthly stub, or claiming impossible deductions) make the stub look fake. A good free generator handles the math automatically.

How many months of pay stubs do I need to provide?

Depends on the application. Apartment applications typically request 2-3 months of recent pay stubs. Auto loans usually want 1-3 months. Mortgages and home loans want 1-2 months of pay stubs plus 2 years of tax returns. Personal loans range from 1 month to 6 months depending on the lender. When in doubt, provide more rather than less — showing 6 months of consistent income is more convincing than 1 stub. Generate stubs for the actual periods covered (not arbitrary dates) and make sure YTD totals match your real income history.

Product Hunt

A free pay stub generator that requires no signup is a tool every self-employed person, side hustler, and small business owner should know about. Whether you need proof of income for an apartment, a loan, or just want to document your own pay for personal financial planning, a no-signup generator gets you a professional pay stub in under 90 seconds. This guide covers what to look for, how to use one correctly, and the legal and ethical lines you must not cross.

When You Actually Need a Pay Stub (and When You Do Not)

Not every situation calls for a pay stub. Use this decision guide:

You probably need a pay stub:

Applying for an apartment (most landlords request recent stubs)
Applying for a mortgage or refinancing
Applying for an auto loan
Applying for a personal loan or credit card increase
Documenting income for child support modifications
Documenting income for divorce or custody proceedings
Filing certain government benefit applications
Proving income for SBA or microloan applications

You probably do not need a pay stub:

Filing taxes (use 1099 or W-2 forms instead)
Sending invoices to clients (use invoices, not pay stubs)
Internal business record-keeping (your bank statements work)
Tax planning (use accounting software exports)

If you are unsure, check with the requesting party. Some landlords accept bank statements or tax returns in place of pay stubs, especially for self-employed applicants.

With free no-signup tools, quality varies widely. Look for these features:

Runs entirely in your browser. Your data stays on your device.
No email required. You should not have to register to download the PDF.
Accurate tax calculations. Federal, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), state tax all calculated correctly.
Year-to-date (YTD) totals. Required by most state pay stub laws.
Multiple pay frequencies. Weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly.
Pre-tax and post-tax deduction support. 401(k), health insurance, garnishments.
Professional PDF output. No watermarks, no "Made with X" branding.
All US states. Including the 9 with no state income tax and the cities with local tax (NYC, Detroit, San Francisco surcharge, etc.).

If the generator skips state tax, lacks YTD fields, or watermarks the PDF, find a better one. Our free pay stub generator hits all eight criteria.

Step-by-Step: Generating a Pay Stub in 90 Seconds

Let us walk through a real example. You are a freelance graphic designer in Austin, TX, applying for a new apartment lease. The landlord wants 3 months of pay stubs as proof of income.

Minute 1 — Employer info (you, as your business):

Business name: Maya Cho Design LLC
Address: 1422 South Lamar Blvd, Austin TX 78704
EIN: 81-1234567

Minute 2 — Employee info (also you, as the person earning):

Name: Maya Cho
Address: same as business (or your home address)
Last 4 of SSN: 4421

Pay period details:

Pay frequency: Bi-weekly
Pay period: May 1 - May 14, 2026
Pay date: May 17, 2026

Earnings:

Hours: 80 (full-time equivalent)
Rate: $50/hour
Gross pay this period: $4,000

Year-to-date earnings (this is the 10th bi-weekly period of 2026):

Gross YTD: $40,000

Deductions:

Federal income tax (estimated based on tax bracket): $440
Social Security (6.2%): $248
Medicare (1.45%): $58
Texas state tax: $0 (TX has no state income tax)
Total deductions: $746

Net pay this period: $3,254

Net YTD: $32,540

Click "Generate PDF." The pay stub downloads in 2 seconds. Total time: under 90 seconds. Repeat with adjusted dates for the previous 2 bi-weekly periods to have 3 stubs total for the apartment application.

The Math: How to Calculate Tax Withholdings Correctly

A fake pay stub with bad math gets rejected by any savvy landlord or lender. The math must be correct. The 2026 federal withholding rates:

Federal Income Tax:

Varies by tax bracket and filing status. Rough estimates for single filers in 2026:

10% on income up to $11,600 (about 10% effective for low earners)
12% on $11,600 - $47,150
22% on $47,150 - $100,525
24% on $100,525 - $191,950
32% on $191,950 - $243,725
35% on $243,725 - $609,350
37% on $609,350+

Note: actual withholding uses the IRS withholding tables, not the marginal rate. For a self-employed pay stub, an effective rate of 11-15% on gross pay is typical for moderate earners.

FICA (Social Security + Medicare):

Social Security: 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of approximately $172,000 (adjusted annually)
Medicare: 1.45% on all wages, plus 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages over $200,000 (single)

For self-employed people, the FICA equivalent is Self-Employment Tax: 15.3% (covers both employer and employee portions) on net self-employment income. You pay this through quarterly estimated taxes, not paycheck withholdings.

State Income Tax:

9 states with no state income tax: AK, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA, WY
Flat-rate states (one rate for all income): IL, IN, MI, NC, PA, UT, CO, KY, MA, OH (most have rates between 3-5%)
Progressive states: California (1% - 13.3%), New York (4% - 10.9%), Hawaii, and others

For accurate state tax on a self-employed pay stub, look up your state's withholding tables or use the generator's built-in calculator.

Getting the math wrong by more than 5-10% makes the pay stub look fake. Lenders and landlords with experience can spot it instantly.

The Legal and Ethical Line: Real vs. Fake Pay Stubs

The critical distinction: a pay stub that documents real income is legal and useful. A pay stub that fabricates income to deceive a landlord or lender is fraud, illegal in all 50 states, and a federal crime in some contexts.

Legal use of self-generated pay stubs:

You are self-employed and earn the income shown
You are documenting actual side hustle income
You are creating personal records for budget planning
You are providing pay stubs along with truthful tax returns

Illegal use:

Inflating income to qualify for an apartment you cannot afford
Creating fake pay stubs to defraud a lender
Fabricating employment from a non-existent employer
Falsifying a former employer's pay stubs
Using a generator to create stubs for someone you do not actually employ

Consequences of fake pay stubs:

Eviction (if a landlord discovers fraud after move-in)
Loan rescission and immediate balance due
Criminal charges (fraud, falsification of documents)
Civil suits from defrauded parties
Damage to credit and rental history

Use pay stub generators to document real income. Period. The legal protection is worth more than any short-term apartment or loan.

Pay Stubs vs. Other Income Documentation

For self-employed people, pay stubs are one of several income documentation options. Compare:

| Document | Best For | Effort |

| -------- | -------- | ------ |

| Pay stubs | Apartment, monthly income proof | 90 seconds each |

| 1099 forms | Year-end income proof | Provided by client |

| Tax returns (Form 1040 + Schedule C) | Mortgage, large loans | One per year, complex |

| Bank statements | Apartment, microloans | Already exist |

| P&L statement | Business loans | Generated from accounting |

| Profit-and-loss letter from CPA | Mortgage, business loans | Costs $100-500 |

Different situations call for different documents. For apartment applications, pay stubs + 2 years of tax returns usually suffice. For mortgages, expect to provide everything in the table above plus more.

Storing and Re-Using Pay Stubs

Once you generate a pay stub, save it in an organized way:

Folder structure: Pay Stubs / 2026 / 05-May / Maya Cho Pay Stub 2026-05-17.pdf
Cloud backup (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive)
Keep for at least 3 years (IRS audit window for most situations)
Keep year-end summary stubs (showing full YTD) for 7 years

For consistent self-documentation, generate a pay stub at the same time each month or pay period — even when no one is asking for it. The habit creates a clean income history that proves invaluable when you do need it.

For businesses growing past the point of self-pay-stub generation (you have actual employees), upgrade to real payroll software. Gusto, ADP, OnPay, and Paychex all handle pay stubs, tax filings, and direct deposit. Eonebill.ai pricing covers the invoicing side; pair it with payroll software for the full picture once you have W-2 employees.

Until then, the free pay stub generator is your fastest path to professional documentation. Generate one today for your records, save it properly, and you will have proof of income ready whenever you need it.

Generating Pay Stubs for Apartment Applications

Apartment applications are the most common use case for self-generated pay stubs. The specific tactics that work:

Generate consistent stubs. Three months of stubs should show the same employer, the same pay frequency, and consistent income (with normal variation for hourly or commission work). Wildly inconsistent stubs raise flags.

Use realistic numbers. The income on the stubs should match your actual tax returns. Landlords often request both — if they do not match, the application gets rejected.

Show recent dates. Stubs older than 60-90 days are typically rejected. Generate stubs covering the most recent pay periods.

Include YTD totals. Year-to-date columns should reflect actual cumulative income for the year. A stub from pay period 10 should show YTD of approximately 10x the period gross.

Provide context if asked. Some landlords ask follow-up questions about self-employment. Be prepared to explain: "I am a freelance designer with consistent clients. My average monthly income is $X, supported by these 3 stubs and my 2024 and 2025 tax returns."

Provide supporting documents. Pay stubs plus tax returns plus 6 months of bank statements is the gold-standard package for self-employed apartment applicants.

Be honest. Falsifying pay stubs to qualify for an apartment you cannot afford is fraud, illegal in all 50 states, and grounds for immediate eviction if discovered later.

Pay Stubs for Loan Applications

For mortgages, auto loans, and personal loans, pay stub requirements are higher than for apartments.

Mortgage applications:

1-2 months of recent pay stubs
Plus 2 years of personal and business tax returns
Plus 2-3 months of bank statements
Plus W-2s or 1099s for each year
Plus P&L statement for self-employed
Plus CPA letter sometimes

Mortgage lenders verify everything. Self-generated pay stubs from a freelance business will be cross-checked against tax returns and bank deposit history. Discrepancies kill applications.

Auto loans:

1-3 months of pay stubs typically sufficient
Less rigorous verification than mortgage
Higher rates for self-employed without W-2 income

Personal loans:

1-3 months of pay stubs
Plus tax returns sometimes
Online lenders may have more flexible documentation than banks

SBA loans:

Less reliant on pay stubs, more on business financials
3 years of business tax returns
P&L and balance sheet
Personal tax returns of all owners
Pay stubs may be requested for owner-employees

Know what each loan type requires before applying. Walking in unprepared wastes time and damages your credit through unnecessary hard inquiries.

Pay Stub Generation for Side Hustles and Gig Workers

Gig economy and side hustle workers (Uber drivers, DoorDash dashers, freelance writers, etc.) often need pay stubs but get paid by platforms, not employers.

Platform earnings as income:

Most platforms (Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart) provide annual 1099-K or 1099-NEC
Weekly or monthly earnings summaries available in the platform app
Bank deposit history shows actual income received
Tax returns ultimately document the full year

Generating pay stubs from platform earnings:

Gig workers can create self-generated pay stubs treating themselves as self-employed:

Employer: their own LLC or sole prop name
Employee: themselves
Pay period: typically weekly or bi-weekly matching when they actually received platform deposits
Gross: total earnings from all platforms for the period
Pre-tax deductions: typically none (gig workers usually do not have employer-sponsored benefits)
Withholdings: estimated taxes (assuming the gig worker pays quarterly estimates)
Net: gross minus estimated withholdings

Documentation package for gig workers:

Self-generated pay stubs covering 2-3 months
1099s from each platform for the prior year
Platform earnings reports for current year
Bank statements showing deposits
Tax returns for past 1-2 years

With this package, gig workers can usually qualify for the same financial products as traditional employees. Without it, applications are often rejected on first review.

Free Pay Stub Generator — No Signup Required

When You Actually Need a Pay Stub (and When You Do Not)

Step-by-Step: Generating a Pay Stub in 90 Seconds

The Math: How to Calculate Tax Withholdings Correctly