Payslip: what to hide before you send it to a landlord, a bank or a lawyer

Show the pay that proves you can pay. Hide the numbers that identify you, such as your tax ID, social security number and bank details. Most of a payslip is not what a landlord, a lender or a lawyer needs.

This guide covers Germany, France and the UK, as of November 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. When unsure, ask the recipient what they need first.

What does each recipient need to see?

• Landlord: your name, your employer, the pay period and your net pay.
• Mortgage lender: employer, period, gross pay, net pay, and the tax and National Insurance deduction lines.
• Lawyer or court: whatever the case needs. Ask the lawyer or the court.

Do not hide these lines. A landlord who cannot see your net pay has nothing to check. Lenders can be stricter: the UK consumer group Which? says you will usually need originals, not scanned or printed copies. Ask a lender before you hide anything.

Which payslip lines should you keep or hide?

The table is a practical suggestion, not an official list. Optional means the recipient does not need it. Ask means check with the recipient first.

What can a landlord in Germany ask for, and when?

In January 2026 the German data protection authorities (the DSK) updated their non-binding guidance for landlords. At a viewing, a landlord usually needs only your identification details. Once you want the flat, a landlord may ask for your net income, and a minimum figure is enough. Proof of income comes last, after the landlord has chosen you. The DSK says the proof can be a payslip copy with the unneeded details blacked out.

The DSK says a landlord may ask for your employer and profession, but calls questions about how long you have worked there unlawful. So the joining date is another line to hide in Germany.

The DSK's list of allowed items, which is not exhaustive, names neither the tax ID nor the social security number. Section 139b of the Tax Code (AO) also limits how the tax ID is used. Private bodies may use it without your consent only to exchange data with tax authorities, or where a law allows it.

Tax class and child allowances reveal family details. The DSK says joint liability of spouses alone does not justify asking about your marital status. It calls questions about marriage plans, pregnancy or a wish for children unlawful. Tax classes III, IV and V mostly concern married employees, class II single parents (section 38b of the Income Tax Act, EStG).

What does a landlord in France need from a payslip?

A decree of 5 November 2015 (no. 2015-1437) lists the documents a French landlord may require. Service-Public says the landlord may ask for one or more, such as the last three payslips or the latest tax notice. Asking for anything else risks a fine of up to 3,000 euros for a private landlord, 15,000 euros for a company.

The CNIL, the French data protection authority, says a landlord should not collect data on your job or finances before a viewing. Your numéro de sécurité sociale (NIR) may appear on a French payslip. The CNIL says it contains your date and place of birth and may be used only in precise cases, such as employers running payroll. Landlords are not among its examples. Hide it, and keep your name, employer, period and net pay.

What should you hide on a UK payslip?

GOV.UK says a payslip must show your earnings before and after deductions, such as tax and National Insurance. Your National Insurance number can appear on a payslip or a P60, the year-end form from your employer. GOV.UK advises you not to share it with anyone who does not need it. Your tax code can reveal a partner. GOV.UK says an M or N in it means Marriage Allowance, a transfer of tax-free allowance between partners.

For a mortgage, Which? says a lender may ask full-time employees for a P60 and at least three months of payslips. So keep gross pay, tax, National Insurance and net pay visible. Ask the lender whether it accepts a copy with your National Insurance number hidden.

When does hiding an amount defeat the purpose?

If Jane Example blacks out her net pay of 2,350 euros, the landlord cannot check what they asked for. Hide an amount only when the recipient does not need it. If the recipient needs a figure, not a document, offer that. In Germany, the DSK's model questionnaire accepts a statement that at least a given amount a month is left for the rent. A letter from your employer is another option, if the recipient agrees.

What should you hide before asking an AI assistant about a payslip?

Suppose you ask ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini to explain a deduction or check a calculation. Mask what identifies you: name, address, employer name, tax ID, social security number, personnel number and bank details. Keep what the question needs: gross pay, each deduction line, net pay and the pay period. For a tax question, keep the tax class or tax code too.

The assistant still sees everything you leave visible. A rare job title, a small employer or an exact joining date can still point to you. Mask any detail the question does not need, such as the church tax line. Better still, crop the file to the lines you ask about. A general question may not need your payslip at all.

How do you mask a payslip and check the result?

1. Mask the lines the table marks Hide. Never change an amount.
2. Save a flattened copy: a new file where the boxes are part of the picture, with no text underneath.
3. Test the copy: try to select a hidden line, search for a number you hid, and read every line again.

ONYRI Sanitize masks name, address, IBAN and valid tax or social security numbers on a PDF or scanned payslip, in your browser. A National Insurance number is found once the document reads as British. Amounts with a currency and a pay period like “September 2026” are masked by default: untick what the recipient needs under “Detected data”. Tax class, church tax and religion lines are not detected: use “Select text”.

Keep your original. Rename the file if its name contains yours. Send the copy only to the person who asked.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references