Articles

Pay Stub & Paycheck Guides

Free, in-depth guides on pay stubs, paycheck calculations, payroll deductions, and everything else you need to understand your earnings.

Pay Stubs8 min read

How to Make a Pay Stub

A complete step-by-step guide to creating accurate pay stubs for employees or yourself, covering every field and common pitfalls to avoid.

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Pay Stubs6 min read

What Does a Pay Stub Look Like?

A visual breakdown of every section of a pay stub — earnings, deductions, net pay, and YTD totals — with annotated examples.

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Guides9 min read

How to Read Your Pay Stub: A Complete Guide

Learn to read every line of your earnings statement, understand pre-tax vs. post-tax deductions, and catch payroll errors before they cost you.

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Self-Employed7 min read

Pay Stub for Self-Employed Workers

Freelancers and independent contractors don't get employer pay stubs — here's what you use instead for income proof, and how self-employment tax works.

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How-To8 min read

How to Fill Out a Pay Stub Step by Step

Every field on a pay stub explained — from employer and employee info to gross pay, FICA, state taxes, and net pay — with worked examples.

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Pay Stubs7 min read

USPS Pay Stub Explained

A detailed guide to reading your USPS LiteBlue earnings statement, including premium pay codes, FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, FERS, and leave balances.

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Taxes & Deductions8 min read

What Are Payroll Deductions? A Simple Breakdown

Mandatory vs. voluntary deductions, pre-tax vs. post-tax, and how each type of deduction affects your take-home pay and tax liability.

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Calculations7 min read

How to Calculate Net Pay from Your Pay Stub

Step-by-step net pay calculation from gross wages through every deduction category, with worked numerical examples for salaried and hourly workers.

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