Income Verification Forms



There are as many reasons for completing an income verification form as there are for wanting to tell someone your life history, but filling out a verification form will produce a verifiable record of facts about you that can be checked when someone who has never met you. Whether you are applying for a credit card, a mortgage, or social benefits, you'll need to be able to prove your income, large or small, in order to know if your income meets the requirements in the guidelines.



Renting or leasing a house or apartment almost always requires completing a rental application form. The form requests financial data used for verification to determine if the renter will be a good credit risk, or if he is more likely to default on payments. That nice house that can be rented for cheap won't be available unless someone is ready to disclose data about their income. Think of it this way: the more income, the nicer the house.

Social services require financial information to prove that people are poor before they will provide them with state assistance. Rich people don't get help because they fill out the form and show they don't need it. Verification shows that their income is above the threshold, which helps insure that aid doesn't go to those who can afford to help themselves. Government help is supposed to be received only when people get truly down and out, but that's not the way it really works. People with fancy cars and cell phones stand in line at the application desk to submit information on a form that discloses where they work, how much they make, and how much is in their bank accounts. They complete the forms for verification with their job history and earnings and then sign away their rights to privacy in exchange for freebies. But they don't really need the help and the caseworker is not required to do any verification on the income that they report.

Applicants to the Social Security Administration (SSA), a government entitlement agency, will need to submit their income when applying for benefits, although many people don't know that the SSA already has everyone's entire life history on file. It doesn't seem to make much sense to have to complete the form, but it's probably worth it to some people.

Orphans and children of lousy parents end up in orphanages to be adopted by financially successful people who are investigated as part of the adoption process. They complete applications on a financial form, submitting income data and bank information that is processed for verification. No agency wants to hand over a child to an adult who is not financially responsible. Checking references to verify income is a prudent measure for those charged with the responsibility of insuring care for the children.