Income Verification Summary

Convert raw financial documents into a court-ready income verification report with traceable figures, trend analysis, and damage-relevant conclusions.

Prerequisites

Tax returns — at least 2-4 years; note filing status changes across years
W-2s / 1099s — all employers and income sources for each year
Paystubs — full period preferred; flag if incomplete
Schedule C / business returns — for self-employed subjects
Case context — claim type (personal injury, wrongful termination, FLSA, discrimination), relevant dates, claimant role

Output Structure / Process

1) Executive Summary

Narrative paragraph covering: subject's occupation, employment structure, income trajectory, and headline financial impact. Include specific dollar figures and connect income changes to documented events.

2) Multi-Year Income Table

| Tax Year | Filing Status | AGI | W-2 Wages | Self-Emp. Net | Other Income | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | YYYY | | | | | | |

Follow with narrative explaining inflection points and year-over-year growth rates.

3) Employment and Income Source Analysis

W-2 employees:

| Element | Detail | | --- | --- | | Employer / title / dates | Per W-2 and paystubs | | Compensation breakdown | Base wage, overtime, bonuses, commissions, shift differentials | | Hourly calculation | Rate x hours from paystubs | | Lost non-wage benefits | Health insurance, retirement contributions |

Self-employed:

| Element | Detail | | --- | --- | | Business type | Schedule C gross receipts vs. net profit by year | | Margin trend | Net profit margin year-over-year | | Subcontractor costs | Flag spikes post-injury (suggests inability to self-perform) | | Cash receipts | If no 1099 corroboration, flag for bank deposit analysis |

All sources: Distinguish earned income (wages, self-employment) from passive (investment, rental, disability, Social Security). Earned income drives earning-capacity damages.

4) Compensation Component Table (W-2 cases)

| Period | Base Wages | OT Hours/Wk | OT Pay | Bonuses | Total | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | |

Flag if overtime or bonus payments cease at a legally significant date.

5) Income Trend and Pattern Analysis

Calculate year-over-year growth rates; compare to CPI if relevant.
Identify inflection points; correlate with documented events (injury date, termination, demotion, medical leave).
For pre/post comparisons: state baseline period, post-event period, annual delta, and methodology.

6) Discrepancy and Gap Log

| Issue | Source A | Source B | Delta | Action Needed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | W-2 vs. paystub mismatch | $X | $Y | $Z | Obtain full-year paystubs | | Unreported cash income | Schedule C | No 1099s | -- | Bank deposit records |

7) Legal Analysis (by claim type)

Loss-of-income / personal injury:

State baseline earning capacity (range + methodology)
Project forward at conservative growth rate (e.g., 3% CPI)
Calculate annual income loss = projected minus actual; note duration

FLSA / wage and hour:

Identify weeks with hours > 40 lacking OT premium
Calculate: OT hours/wk x OT premium x weeks in limitations period
Cite applicable limitations period; 29 U.S.C. section 207 [VERIFY jurisdiction-specific period]

Employment discrimination:

Compare claimant raise history and salary to comparable employees
Quantify wage gap as dollar amount and percentage
Note tenure, title, and responsibility comparators used

8) Missing Documentation Checklist

[ ] Paystubs for complete relevant period
[ ] All Schedule K-1s if pass-through entity
[ ] Benefits statements (health, retirement)
[ ] Bank records to corroborate cash income
[ ] Comparable employee compensation data (discrimination claims)

9) Conclusions

Bullet-point summary of: baseline income, income loss figure, supporting documents, and litigation readiness. State whether figures are sufficient to support expert testimony.

Guidelines

Cite every figure to a specific source document (e.g., "2021 Form W-2, Box 1").
Flag all discrepancies explicitly; never reconcile silently.
Disclose assumptions and limitations; incomplete records must appear in conclusions.
Distinguish earned vs. passive income; passive income is typically excluded from earning-capacity damages.
Use [VERIFY] for any statute, limitations period, or jurisdiction-specific rule not confirmed.
Present financial facts objectively; no advocacy.
U.S. jurisdiction only; note state-specific variations where material.