THE PAY STUB · annotated
Every line on the stub, read back to you.
TT Income — Take-home & Tax Income — works the paycheck the way a payroll desk does: one line at a time, to the cent, with the same paycheck run both ways when a choice changes it. Tap any line on the statement below to read what moves it.
Earnings statement
Example Co.
Employee: A. Sample
- Pay period
- Sep 28 – Oct 11, 2026
- Pay date
- Oct 16, 2026
- Frequency
- Biweekly (26 per year)
- Advice no.
- 000-ILLUSTRATIVE
Earnings
Deductions
Taxes
Net
Illustrative stub — not real figures. Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45% are worked on 2,562.00 (gross less the pre-tax health premium). Federal and state amounts are placeholders, not a table lookup — your own come from your W-4, IRS Publication 15-T and your state’s form.
Second sheet
The desk, by column
Earnings01
Regular pay, overtime, pay frequency, raises and corrected stubs.
- Every line on a pay stub, and what moves it−$679.09 from gross to net (illustrative stub)
- Biweekly vs semimonthly: same salary, different paychecksTiming only
- Overtime math when you're salaried but not exempt+$42.00 per overtime hour at $28/hr
- Payroll errors: reading a corrected stub and a claw-back−$92.31 per paycheck for two paychecks (example recovery)
- Raise math: what a 4% raise is after tax and benefits+$64.96 per paycheck on a 4% raise (example)
Lines05
Deductions02
Health premiums, voluntary benefits, group life and garnishments.
- Voluntary benefits at work: accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity−$12.40 per paycheck (illustrative stub)
- Leaving a job: what happens to your group life coverage+$1.36 per paycheck once imputed income stops (example)
- Wage garnishment lines on a pay stub−$75.00 per paycheck (illustrative stub)
Lines03
Withholding03
The W-4, bonus and severance withholding, and what the federal line is doing.
- W-4 at a new job: the three boxes that matter−$50.00 per paycheck (Step 4(c) example)
- Bonus withholding: why it looks like a 22% taxTiming only
- Severance: taxes, timing and the order to do things−$1,100 federal withheld on a $5,000 lump sum at 22%
Lines03
Job Changes04
First paychecks, final paychecks, unemployment and coverage between jobs.
- Why the first paycheck at a new job is shortTiming only
- Your final paycheck: what state law says it must include, and whenTiming only
- Unemployment after severance: the overlap rulesTiming only
- Coverage after a job loss: the 60-day special enrollment window+$96.00 deduction ends (illustrative stub)
Lines04
Gig Pay05
Platform payouts, the 1099-K, and the tax nobody withheld.
Lines01
Posted this pay period
- Oct 12, 2026Every line on a pay stub, and what moves itA pay stub is a subtraction problem printed in a fixed order. Learn the order and the handful of inputs behind each line, and almost every surprise on payday becomes explainable.−$679.09 from gross to net (illustrative stub)
- Oct 05, 2026Why the first paycheck at a new job is shortA short first paycheck is almost never an error. It is usually a partial pay period, a payroll lag, and benefit deductions starting all at once — and the money you think is missing shows up on the next check.Timing only
- Sep 28, 2026W-4 at a new job: the three boxes that matterThe current Form W-4 has five steps, but for most people starting a job only three entries actually move the federal withholding line: the Step 2 checkbox, the Step 3 credit amount, and Step 4(c).−$50.00 per paycheck (Step 4(c) example)
- Sep 21, 2026Bonus withholding: why it looks like a 22% taxBonuses aren't taxed at a special rate. They are withheld at one: 22% federal when the employer pays them separately, plus the usual 7.65%. What you actually owe on the bonus is settled on your return.Timing only