Pay Stub Errors: What to Check on Every Paycheck
Payroll can get a stub wrong. Here are the lines worth checking, the errors that hide for months, and the records that settle a disagreement.
take home pay
How Tax Withholding Works, and Why Take-Home Differs
Two people on the same salary rarely take home the same amount. Here is what withholding is approximating, and the variables that move it.
What YTD Means on Your Pay Stub, and Why to Check It
YTD is the running total since January 1, and it is the draft of your W-2. Here are four checks it makes possible that a single check cannot.
Pre-Tax vs Post-Tax Deductions on Your Pay Stub
Two deductions of the same size can change your take-home pay by different amounts. Here is what the order does, and which taxes each bucket skips.
Gross vs Net Pay: Where the Difference Goes
Take-home pay is smaller than your salary for four or five specific reasons. Here is each destination, and which of that money is still yours.
How to Read Your Pay Stub, Line by Line
A plain guide to every block on a US pay stub, the two columns most people ignore, and a ninety-second check that says whether it adds up.
Why a Raise Sometimes Does Not Show Up in Your Bank Account
A raise is gross and your deposit is net. Four things sit between them, three of them scale with pay, and one of them is a rate the IRS publishes. Read your own stub.