Viewing your check stub can be very confusing.  There are so many numbers to see.  Where do these numbers come from?  How is my pay calculated?  Below is an explanation of the different sections on the check stub.

 

The very top of your check stub is your basic information.  It shows your name, the pay date, the check number, the pay period for which you are being paid for and your tax filing statuses.

 

Earnings – Current.

In this section are the different types of pay for which you are being compensated.  All amounts are listed as gross pay.

 

• Gross pay is the total amount of income that you earned during the pay period before any taxes or deductions. It can include regular pay, overtime pay, vacation and holiday pay.

 

Deductions/Taxes.

This section shows all of the deductions from your paycheck.  It can include items like federal tax, state tax, FICA taxes, pretax and post-tax insurance deductions and retirement deductions.

 

• Pretax deductions are deduction amounts that lower the amount of pay taxed. You start out with your entire gross pay amount, and any pretax deductions you have are subtracted from your gross pay to make your taxable pay smaller (which means less taxes are withheld).

 

• Post tax deductions are the opposite. They are regular deductions withheld from your gross pay with no change to your taxable pay.

 

Earnings – Year to Date. 

This section gives the grand totals for the calendar year broken down by the type of pay (regular, overtime, vacation, sick, holiday).

 

Net Pay Distribution.

This section shows you the total amount you are being paid after taxes and other deductions.  You will see the amount you are being paid for the current pay date and you will see a year to date amount that you have been paid.

 

Paid Time Off.

If your employer tracks your vacation, sick or paid time off through The Employer Group, the current balances is listed here.

 

Direct Deposit Detail.

This section shows you the type of account into which your direct deposit paycheck is going – usually either checking or savings accounts.  If you have more than one account set up, the different accounts, along with the net amounts deposited for the pay period, will be broken out here.

 

Employer Contributions.

In this last section, if your employer contributes to any insurances you have elected, you will see a current and year to date column showing the amounts they contributed.

 

If you ever have any questions on items on your check stub please do not hesitate to contact your payroll representative directly at The Employer Group, or you can also email [email protected] and someone will assist you.