What's on your paycheck, explained: gross vs. net, the taxes withheld, pre- and post-tax deductions, and your W-4 and W-2.
13 articles
Gross pay is what you earn; net pay is what lands in your bank. Here's every tax and deduction that sits in between, with a worked 2026 example.
What every section of a Payrollix paystub means — Earnings, Taxes, Deductions, Net Pay — and why the YTD column is the one to watch.
The federal income tax on your paystub is a prepayment toward your annual tax bill, not the bill itself. Here's what moves the number and how it differs from FICA.
Pre-tax deductions come out before your taxes are calculated, so they shrink your taxable wages. Here's which deductions are which, and exactly which taxes each one lowers.
Nine states take no income tax from your wages at all. Here's why your stub may or may not have a state tax line, and how work-state vs. home-state withholding works.
Your employer pays a whole set of payroll taxes on top of your wages that never touch your check or your paystub. Here's what they are and why they aren't your bill.
The current W-4 has no allowances — here's how the post-2020 form actually works, field by field.
If your refund is huge or you owed at tax time, here's which W-4 levers change how much comes out of each check.
Your W-2 is the year-end summary of what you earned and what was withheld — here's when you get it and what the key boxes mean.
Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) and health premiums shrink Box 1 — and Boxes 3 and 5 can be different again. Here's the reasoning.
Reported tips are taxable wages subject to Social Security, Medicare, and income tax, which is why a tip-heavy check can show large withholding against small cash wages.
What changes for your paycheck and taxes when you move states partway through the year — and why updating your address matters.
Life events like marriage, a new baby, or a second job change what you owe — and your W-4 should change with them.