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Income record builder

Lost-Wage Documentation Builder

Use this builder to identify the records that may explain income before an injury, time missed, work restrictions, benefits received, and income after returning. It supports employees, self-employed people, gig workers, and people with multiple jobs. It does not calculate recoverable damages, prove causation, replace tax advice, or send information to Hurt Advice.

Open the in-memory workspace Review official sources

Who this helps

Start with the record, not an assumption.

This organizer helps Californians whose injury affected hourly work, salary, overtime, tips, commissions, bonuses, contract work, business income, app-based work, or more than one job. The strongest record set usually connects income history, medically supported work restrictions, actual missed time, and later earnings without hiding offsets or inconsistent periods.

Five working principles

  • Separate proof of earnings from proof that the injury affected work.
  • Use records from before and after the event so the change can be evaluated in context.
  • Track every job and income stream independently before combining any summary.
  • For variable or self-employment income, preserve source documents and the method used to explain changes.
  • Record disability, sick-leave, wage-replacement, or other payments without assuming how they affect a claim.

Interactive utility

Organize what you have and expose what is missing.

The workspace is optional and works without an account. Use short labels, avoid unnecessary private information, and print only on a device and printer you trust.

In-memory workspace

Build your working record

Choose a short work-stream label and mark records you actually have. Repeat the printed checklist for each employer, client, platform, or business. Completion shows document readiness only; it does not calculate a loss.

No account, upload, or submission: Do not enter tax-identification numbers, bank-account numbers, full employer account numbers, or upload tax returns. Nothing entered here is transmitted to Hurt Advice. Use generalized notes in the browser, print the checklist, and gather sensitive records in a secure location you control. Hurt Advice does not intentionally persist workspace entries. Browser extensions, device features, print queues, and files you create are outside this page’s control; reset the workspace before leaving a shared device.
Document readiness0 of 16 located

This percentage measures checklist completion only. It does not measure claim strength, coverage, proof, or value.

Income before the injury

Build a reliable baseline from records rather than memory alone.

Injury-related work change

Connect the work interruption to dated restrictions, employer actions, and actual missed work.

Self-employment and gig records

Show income and business activity with contemporaneous source records and a transparent method.

Payments and open questions

Keep replacement payments and unresolved assumptions visible rather than netting them silently.

Before you begin

Gather the source records first.

A checklist is most useful when every checked item points to an actual record, statement, source, or dated observation.

  • Record 1

    Pay stubs, wage statements, W-2s, 1099s, and relevant tax records

  • Record 2

    Schedules, timecards, attendance records, and employer correspondence

  • Record 3

    Medical work notes, restrictions, and return-to-work documents

  • Record 4

    Invoices, contracts, deposits, app statements, calendars, and business ledgers

  • Record 5

    Disability, sick-leave, paid-time-off, or wage-replacement notices

How to use the record

A practical method with clear limits.

Step 1

Build three separate proof layers

A useful wage file separates the earnings baseline, the reason work changed, and the actual post-injury result. Pay records may show normal income; medical restrictions and employer records may explain missed work; later pay and schedule records may show what occurred. No single document automatically establishes the entire issue.

  • Baseline: what the work and income looked like before
  • Connection: why duties, hours, or opportunities changed
  • Result: what was actually missed, replaced, resumed, or earned

Step 2

Handle variable income transparently

Self-employment, tips, commissions, overtime, seasonal work, and gig income often fluctuate. Keep the underlying invoices, platform statements, deposits, expenses, and calendars. Explain why a comparison period was chosen and disclose contrary periods. The IRS emphasizes orderly source records for business income and expenses, but tax substantiation is not the same as proving legal damages.

  • Separate gross receipts from expenses and net income.
  • Preserve canceled work and completed replacement work.
  • Avoid projecting future income from one unusually strong period.

Step 3

What the builder cannot calculate

The page does not determine a recoverable period, earning capacity, benefit offset, tax treatment, mitigation issue, causation, or future loss. It also cannot decide whether a medical restriction supports a particular missed shift or business opportunity. Those questions require evidence and qualified analysis.

  • No damages total
  • No tax or benefits advice
  • No future-earnings projection

Important limits

Do not turn an organizer into a legal conclusion.

  • Do not present gross business revenue as lost personal income without accounting for expenses and context.
  • Do not omit concurrent work, replacement income, paid leave, disability payments, or a return to partial duties.
  • Do not ask a medical provider or employer to state facts they cannot verify.
  • Do not enter tax IDs, bank numbers, or full tax-return details in this browser tool.

Primary authority trail

Verify the source behind the checklist.

These official statutes and agency materials support the educational framework. They do not resolve how a rule applies to an individual matter. Sources reviewed August 8, 2026.

  1. 1
    Workers’ Compensation in California: Guidebook for Injured Workers

    California Division of Workers’ Compensation

    Official guidance to track medical condition, ability to work, pay stubs, time sheets, and out-of-pocket records in the work-injury context.

  2. 2
    California Code of Regulations, title 8, section 10101.1

    California Department of Industrial Relations

    Official claim-file documentation categories for earnings, concurrent work, irregular earnings, notices, and return-to-work records.

  3. 3
    What kind of records should I keep?

    Internal Revenue Service

    Official source-document and recordkeeping guidance for self-employment income and expenses.

  4. 4
    Required documentation for a California wage claim

    California Labor Commissioner’s Office

    Official examples of wage, payment, employment, and time records useful for understanding work and pay history.

Common questions

Know exactly what the tool can and cannot do.

Does this builder calculate my lost wages?

No. It identifies records and assumptions but does not calculate recoverable wages, earning capacity, offsets, taxes, or future income.

What should an employee gather first?

Common starting records include pay stubs, wage statements, schedules, timecards, medical work restrictions, employer confirmation, and later return-to-work records.

What if I am self-employed or paid through apps?

Gather invoices, contracts, platform statements, deposits, expense records, tax documents, calendars, and comparable periods. Keep the method and assumptions transparent.

Should I include sick leave or disability payments?

Track them separately with the payer and covered period. Do not decide on your own how they affect a claim; preserve them for qualified review.

Are my entries sent to Hurt Advice?

No. This workspace does not submit or store your entries. Printing is controlled by your browser and device.

Continue your research

Move from organization to the right next question.

What damages may be part of an injury claim?

Review the difference between documented economic loss and other claimed harm.

Accident evidence checklist

Connect wage records with incident, medical, insurance, and communication evidence.

Workplace injury information

Review California work-injury pathways and participating-attorney resources.

Personal injury information

Understand the broader records and questions that may affect an injury matter.

Attorney profiles

Find verified participating attorneys and relevant practice information.

Secure case-routing intake

Use the contact route if you want Hurt Advice to receive your contact information.

When records raise a legal question

Ask for routing to a licensed California attorney.

Hurt Advice is a lawyer referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. It does not provide legal advice, representation, or a result guarantee. An attorney-client relationship can arise only through a separate agreement with a participating attorney or law firm.

Questions about your own records?

Call (818) 482-2260Start secure intake