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Walter Lopez
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Business Development at Oxford International
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Your Pay History
Hiring managers asking what I made or "what was my W-2 like the previous year" caught me a little off guard. The last time I went through interviews was 3 years ago and that is not how pay was addressed then. Please share your thoughts and experiences. Do you share your actual numbers, do you give them the amount you want to make, can they even verify tax information, can employers ask for tax documents? Thanks.
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about 8 years ago
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Hi Walter,
I was curious about this question, so I did some online research and read many discussions in some professional boards. What it seems to boil down to is that the potential employer is looking to verify what your past salary was. It is legal for them to request these documents but it is entirely up to you on if you want to provide them with it. If you were in a past job that underpaid due to the location/budget restrictions, it might impact your ability to negotiate a higher salary.
What is more common is for them to ask a past salary range, and benefits packages. However, there are many states that outlaw this practice too. In my personal opinion, it seems like they do not trust you to provide them with accurate information if they are asking for your W-2. However, it may be company policy that I haven't seen.
I hope this information helps, and I'd love to see other's experiences with this!