Companies are legally required to keep payroll records for multiple years (depends on where you live, though I doubt most places are less than 3-4). This is ok

Companies are legally required to keep payroll records for multiple years (depends on where you live, though I doubt most places are less than 3-4). This is ok advice, but these systems don't just work like this. If you didn't have the documentation the bank would likely take your approved tax filings as evidence and move on with their day. In a real contract dispute your copy of a contact from your documents isn't notably different in the eyes of the court than one from your employer. They're both notarized and if there's a dispute between them there is established processes. Aside from some titles or etc., historical filing ownership is typically relegated to the document originators.