Intuitive software to help pay employees accurately and on time. Finally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also requires employers to retain all personnel and employment records for one year. Employers must keep records one year past an employee’s termination date if that employee was let go involuntarily. That’s according to both the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act .

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States typically set the rules, and there are some different designations to keep in mind. You never know when Uncle Sam might come calling — and https://quick-bookkeeping.net/s are expected to retain payroll records for at least three years. Keeping accurate pay stubs can also be helpful if an employee claims you’re not paying them at an agreed-upon rate. Some red flags to look out for on your pay stub include the misspelling of key personal information such as your name or Social Security number.

• Pay stubs in the U.S. vary according to how they are generated, but most contain a number of key features, including your pay, taxes, and deductions.
• A document attached to or accompanying a paycheck as a record of gross earnings and deductions.
• It’s also not uncommon for government agencies or nonprofit organizations to request copies of your pay stubs if you apply for financial assistance, like student loans, for example.

Doing payroll this way can mean relying on a jumble of spreadsheets, paper documents, separate websites, and so forth, every pay period. It’s possible to do that way if you only have a few employees, but it’s complicated and time-consuming. Payroll software is a much better option for small businesses and becomes essential as they grow. Issuing paychecks and pay stubs is quicker and easier once the data is entered for each employee. A pay stub’s purpose is to provide employees with a record of wages earned and hours they’ve worked — including any tax withholdings or 401 contributions.

Reasons Why the Gross Amount on Your End-of-Year Pay Stub may be Different Than the Amount on Your W-2

Investopedia does not Pay Stub Meaning all offers available in the marketplace. The deductions that relate to taxes are generally the most confusing, particularly those related to FICA. Ebony Howard is a certified public accountant and a QuickBooks ProAdvisor tax expert.

• If you haven’t received your W2 by January 31st, contact human resources at your company.
• Make sure that your pay stub displays the correct amount and that the money goes to the right 401 account.
• If you work by the hour, your hourly rate and the number of hours you worked for the pay period will be listed.
• These would explain the basis for paying different wages to employees of opposite sexes in the same establishment.
• For every allowance you take, less money gets withheld for federal taxes and more money gets added to your paycheck.

If you haven’t received your W2 by January 31st, contact human resources at your company. Your pay stub shows how much you earned and how much was deducted from your salary. Did you just receive your first paycheck as an immigrant in the US? If yes, your first American pay stub might look confusing to you. These tools can also be useful for tax planning purposes, too, allowing you to check your withholdings against their recommendations. You may discover that you’re deducting too much or too little from your check, and change your withholdings accordingly.

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Form W-4 or the Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate is a form you fill out when you join a new company. This form allows your employer to withhold the correct amount of taxes from your paycheck. For Social Security tax, your employer deducts 6.2% of your gross earnings, up to $132,900. For dollars you make over $132,900, no social security tax is deducted. For Medicare tax, your employer deducts 1.45% of your gross earnings. Your employer will withhold an extra 0.9% if you make over $200,000 in gross pay per year.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.

Do employers have to provide pay stubs?

A pay stub, or paycheck, is important for both employers and employees as it outlines the exact gross salary that an employee is receiving along with the relevant deductions and contributions. This avoids any confusion as both parties are able to clearly see how the calculations have been made. Pay stubs may also be required as proof of earnings or employment in certain situations such as renting or buying a home. Whether you’re new to payroll taxes or a seasoned payroll veteran, this topic can be confusing to navigate. But, if you’re going to help your employees this tax season, you must comprehend gross pay vs. W-2 wages.