What Should a Pay Stub Show?
A useful statement connects the employer, employee, pay period, gross earnings, deductions, and net pay. Year-to-date figures show the running balances for the payment calendar year.
Employer and employee details
Use the correct legal names and addresses. An internal employee ID or the last four SSN digits can help distinguish records without including a full Social Security number.
Earnings
Hourly earnings use the pay rate and hours worked. Salaried earnings use the salary and pay frequency. List overtime and additional earnings separately when applicable.
Withholding and deductions
Enter the amounts withheld from actual payroll records. Optional 2026 federal estimates are available for supported resident-employee situations. State and local withholding is entered separately.
Year-to-date balances
Start with the actual amounts before the earliest pay date you are documenting. We then add the periods you enter in payment-date order, resetting balances when the payment year changes.
Net pay
Net pay is gross earnings minus taxes and other deductions. A statement records a payment; it does not pay the worker or file a tax return.
Create Your Pay Stub