South Carolina Paystub Generator
South Carolina rewrote its 2026 income tax rates in March, yet payroll still withholds from the WH-1603F tables issued last fall. That gap is why a correct stub here needs more than a flat percentage. This South Carolina paystub generator applies the official 2026 withholding formula, itemizes federal tax and FICA and keeps year-to-date totals in line for Greenville, Columbia or Charleston payrolls.
Create Your South Carolina Paystub
Free preview · SC withholding from the 2026 WH-1603F formula · Instant PDF
Short answer
For 2026 South Carolina employers withhold state income tax with the WH-1603F formula: 0% up to $3,640, 3% minus $109.20 up to $18,230 and 6% minus $656.10 above that, after allowances of $5,000 each. Your actual 2026 tax is figured on the lower H.4216 rates when you file.
A Stub That Follows the Withholding Formula, Not a Guess
The SC W-4 does not let an employee ask for a flat dollar amount or a fixed percentage on regular wages. State tax has to come from the WH-1603F brackets, the allowances on the form and the 10% standard deduction rule.
Online Paystub runs that formula for every pay frequency. Enter hours or salary, preview the South Carolina paystub for free and download it once each line matches the payroll register.
H.4216 Changed the Rates, the Withholding Tables Did Not
Governor McMaster signed H.4216 on March 30, 2026. For the whole 2026 tax year it taxes income under $30,000 at 1.99% and income of $30,000 or more at 5.21% minus $966. It also replaces the federal standard deduction with a new South Carolina Income Adjusted Deduction of $15,000 for single filers, $22,500 for heads of household and $30,000 for joint filers.
The SCDOR information page on H.4216 is the place to watch for revised tables. Until they arrive, a south carolina pay stub built on WH-1603F is the correct one.
The WH-1603F Formula in Four Moves
- 1
Annualize the wages
Multiply the period's taxable pay by the number of pay periods; biweekly pay is multiplied by 26.
- 2
Subtract the standard deduction
Take 10% of annual wages, capped at $7,500, but only if the SC W-4 claims at least one allowance.
- 3
Subtract allowances
Each allowance on the SC W-4 removes $5,000 of annual wages.
- 4
Apply the bracket and divide
0% up to $3,640; 3% minus $109.20 up to $18,230; 6% minus $656.10 above. Divide by 26.
Because the standard deduction depends on claiming an allowance, the zero-allowance line can be noticeably higher than the one-allowance line for the same paycheck. The comparison below uses the same $2,080 biweekly wage.
0 allowances (sample below)
- Annual wages $54,080
- No standard deduction, no allowance
- $54,080 × 6% minus $656.10 = $2,588.70
- Biweekly withholding $99.57
1 allowance
- Annual wages $54,080
- Standard deduction $5,408 and one allowance $5,000
- $43,672 × 6% minus $656.10 = $1,964.22
- Biweekly withholding $75.55
What a Greenville Worker Withholds Against What the Return May Owe
The difference between the two systems matters at tax time. Using the same 2026 wages with no other income and before any credits, the new law produces a much smaller liability than the old brackets withhold.
Andre Simmons, single, 2026 wages of $54,080
An employee who prefers a smaller refund can claim allowances on a new SC W-4. The stub then shows the lower withholding from the next payday on.
Blue Ridge Textile Labs Sample: Every Line Reconciled
Scenario: Andre Simmons works for Blue Ridge Textile Labs at 101 N Main St in Greenville. He earns $26.00 an hour, works 80 hours in the biweekly period from September 7 to September 20, 2026 and is paid on September 25. He files single, claims no SC W-4 allowances and this is his 21st paycheck of the year.
| Line | Current | Year to date |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,080.00 | $43,680.00 |
| Federal income tax | $165.75 | $3,480.75 |
| South Carolina state tax | $99.57 | $2,090.97 |
| Medicare | $30.16 | $633.36 |
| Social Security | $128.96 | $2,708.16 |
| Total deductions | $424.44 | $8,913.24 |
| Net pay | $1,655.56 | $34,766.76 |
The state line follows WH-1603F exactly: $2,080 × 26 = $54,080, no deduction or allowance, $54,080 × 6% minus $656.10 = $2,588.70 for the year and $99.57 per paycheck. Year to date is 21 equal checks of $99.57. For the field-by-field walkthrough, see how to make a paystub.
Section 41-10-30: Notice at Hire, Itemized Statement Every Payday
What the South Carolina Payment of Wages Act requires
- Written notice at hire of normal hours, wages, time and place of payment and deductions
- Seven days' written notice before any change other than a raise
- An itemized statement of gross pay and deductions each pay period
- A statement of earnings and withholdings for direct-deposit employees under 41-10-40(B)
- Payroll records of names, addresses, wages and deductions kept for three years
Keep a copy of each South Carolina pay stub with the payroll records for the three years the law requires. Every number on the South Carolina pay stub, from gross pay to each deduction, should be traceable to those records.
Final Pay Within 48 Hours or by the Next Payday
- Separation
Firing, layoff and resignation are all treated the same way under 41-10-50.
- Within 48 hours
The default deadline for all wages due.
- Next regular payday
Allowed instead, as long as it falls no more than 30 days after separation.
South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so the federal $7.25 applies, with a $2.13 cash wage for tipped employees who reach $7.25 with tips.
Unemployment Tax Stays Off the Employee Side
The Department of Employment and Workforce taxes the first $14,000 of each worker's wages for 2026. New employers pay 1.06%, which includes the 0.06% administrative contingency assessment. All of it is an employer cost. A south carolina paystub should never list it among the employee deductions.
Where Workers Use a SC Stub
Auto lenders in the Upstate typically ask for the two most recent stubs with year-to-date figures; this guide explains how to get a pay stub for an auto loan. At year end the final year-to-date gross should reconcile with the W-2 form after pre-tax benefits are removed.
To test a raise or a new SC W-4 before payday, run the numbers in the South Carolina paycheck calculator, then create the sc pay stub from the final figures with the south carolina paystub generator.
Pay Stubs Reflect Real Payroll
Online Paystub records wages that were actually paid. Inventing income, changing an employer name or altering withholding to qualify for credit or housing is fraud under state and federal law. Use the south carolina paystub generator only with true payroll data and keep each South Carolina pay stub consistent with deposits and year-end forms.
South Carolina Paystub FAQ
What is the South Carolina withholding rate in 2026?
Payroll uses the WH-1603F formula: 0% on the first $3,640 of annualized taxable wages, 3% minus $109.20 up to $18,230 and 6% minus $656.10 above that.
Did H.4216 change my paycheck withholding?
Not yet. H.4216 sets the 2026 tax rates at 1.99% and 5.21% minus $966, but the Department of Revenue has not issued revised withholding tables, so employers still use WH-1603F.
How much is one allowance on the SC W-4?
Each allowance removes $5,000 of annual wages. Claiming at least one allowance also unlocks the 10% standard deduction, capped at $7,500.
Does South Carolina require pay stubs?
Yes. Section 41-10-30 requires an itemized statement of gross pay and deductions every pay period, including for direct-deposit employees.
Is there a local income tax in South Carolina?
No. Paychecks carry federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and South Carolina state tax only, plus any voluntary deductions.
When is a final paycheck due in South Carolina?
Within 48 hours of separation or on the next regular payday, which may not be more than 30 days later.
How much does a stub cost?
$4.99 for one stub, no subscription. Preview it free first.
See a Greenville Earnings Statement Built Step by Step
Follow the generator from company details to the finished PDF with South Carolina as the work state.
Payroll rules on this page checked against the South Carolina Department of Revenue, the SC Code of Laws and the Department of Employment and Workforce by Olivia Bennett, Payroll Specialist. Last reviewed .
South Carolina Paychecks in the Charlotte and Augusta Metros
South Carolina withholds state tax with the WH-1603F formula. Two of its fastest-growing areas share a workforce with neighboring states.
- Fort Mill and Rock Hill residents who work in Charlotte have North Carolina tax withheld at 4.09%. Build those stubs with the North Carolina paystub generator.
- North Augusta and Aiken workers with jobs in Augusta owe Georgia withholding on that pay; see the Georgia paystub generator.
- Upstate employers with staff working in Tennessee have no state income tax to withhold for that work. Use the Tennessee paystub generator.