Paycheck Articles
Paycheck articles on calculating take-home pay, pay frequency and how gross pay becomes net pay.
How Your Paycheck Is Calculated
Gross pay is what you earned. Net pay is what arrives. Everything between the two is withholding and deductions, and the gap surprises people more than any other part of getting paid. This category explains how that gap is produced and how to check it yourself.
No federal income tax withheld is the single most common paycheck question we see, and the answer is often a legitimate one rather than an error. Do paychecks expire deals with the opposite problem: a paycheck that was issued but never cashed, and what happens to money that has gone stale.
The document that proves these calculations is covered in Paystubs, the withholding rules behind them in Tax, and the employer processes that produce them in Payroll.
Why Was No Federal Income Tax Withheld from My Paycheck?
Common reasons include low earnings, exempt status on your W-4 and payroll errors. How to check your stub and fix the withholding.
Do Paychecks Expire? How Long a Paycheck Stays Valid
Banks can refuse a check older than six months, but the wages are still owed to you. How stale-dated paychecks work and how to get one reissued.