It is very important that you know how to read your paycheck. Check out our helpful guide here on how to read a check stub.
Have you started a new job and wondering how to read your check stub?
Twenty-six states in America require that employers provide their employees with a copy of their pay stub.
Besides being the medium for receipt of payment by your employer, check stubs also serve the important function of keeping you up to date on where your earnings are being sent each paycheck.
Read on to learn how to read a check stub so that you know where your money is going each pay period!
Personal Information
To read a pay stub you should start at the top of the document where your personal information is located.
It’s important to start at the top because you must ensure that the pay stub you have received is meant for you. Besides including your full name at the top, you will also see information like your address, and the last four digits of your social security number.
Be sure that personal information like your social security number is accurate. Otherwise, your income may not be being reported to the federal government.
Paychecks from thepaystubs.com are designed for employers and employees to read with ease and to include accurate information.
Payment Information
The payment information section of your check stub will provide crucial information about your current earnings and more.
If you are paid a salary, you should ensure that the amount being paid by your employer reflects the proper payout for your pay period. But if you are paid hourly, you need to pay particular attention to the number of hours you logged for your pay period.
Multiply your hourly rate of pay by the number of hours worked to get your gross pay amount. When you subtract the taxes and other benefit costs that are removed from your gross pay, you will learn your net pay.
Your net pay is also called your “take-home pay”.
Employee & Employer Taxes Withheld
Your paycheck will also include a part that provides a breakdown of the taxes withheld from your paycheck by your employer.
Keep in mind that if you are an independent contractor and not an employee, you will not see a section where taxes are withheld. That’s because as an independent contractor, paying taxes on your earnings is your responsibility.
The withholding section for an employee’s earnings includes social security, medicare, and federal income tax. There will be a portion of these calculations for the current pay period and a year-to-date section.
The year-to-date figure allows you to know how much has been withheld from your paycheck in the past 365 days.
If you live in a state that requires you to pay state income tax, there will also be a section that reflects these figures, too.
Wrapping Up: How to Read a Check Stub
It’s important for you to know how to read a check stub as an employee.
But the layout and design of check stubs are not always the same across the board. When you first begin working for an employer, spend some time looking over your check stub so that you understand the information included in the document.
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