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Learn about paystubs, paycheck stubs, deductions, YTD values, templates, contractor pay records, and small business pay documentation.

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Latest Paystub Guides

All Contractors Paystub Basics Small Business State Guides Taxes and Deductions YTD and Pay Details

Diagram showing payroll deductions separated into Social Security OASDI and Medicare tax columns

Taxes and Deductions

What Does OASDI Mean on My Paycheck? Social Security Tax

Discover what OASDI and Medicare mean on your paycheck, how mandatory rates apply to gross wages, and where annual caps change your take-home pay.

Oct 12, 202610 min read

Calendar layout showing quarterly payroll tax filing deadlines with weekend adjustments highlighted.

Taxes and Deductions

Form 941 Due Dates 2027: Quarterly Deadlines and Weekend Rules

Form 941 due dates for 2027 fall on April 30, August 2, November 1, and January 31, 2028. Learn how the IRS weekend rule shifts deadlines and when 10-day rules apply.

Oct 9, 20267 min read

A flat lay of organized paper tax forms, business invoices, and a digital tablet showing a clean spreadsheet ledger.

Contractors

Contractor Year-End Records: Invoices, Payments and 1099-NEC

Organize your freelancer year-end records systematically. Reconcile invoices and payment summaries against Form 1099-NEC before the January 31 deadline.

Oct 6, 202612 min read

A structured desktop setup displaying a folder of financial documents, business bank statements, and IRS tax return forms.

Contractors

Pay Stub for Self-Employed: What It Can and Cannot Show

Discover what lenders and landlords require for self-employed proof of income. Learn how tax returns, bank statements, and profit-and-loss records verify your business revenue.

Oct 5, 20267 min read

Diagram showing three pathways to obtain free pay statements: employer payroll portals, official government records, and self-prepared documentation.

Paystub Basics

Can You Get Check Stubs for Free? What Is and Is Not Free

Learn where to get check stubs for free from payroll portals, which official tax transcripts replace missing pay records, and how free paystub tools work.

Oct 5, 202612 min read

A structured desktop workspace with regulatory payroll binders, a digital tablet displaying hours, and a clean earnings summary.

Paystub Basics

FLSA Overtime Salary Threshold 2026

Under federal law, earning a salary does not automatically stop overtime pay. See how the FLSA overtime salary threshold works on pay records in 2026.

Oct 5, 202612 min read

A clean visual breakdown contrasting standard base wages and overtime time and a half earnings blocks.

Paystub Basics

Time and a Half: What You Actually Earn per Hour

Find your exact time and a half pay rate with our complete $10 to $40 per hour lookup chart, step-by-step math breakdown, and clear paystub earnings guidance.

Oct 2, 20267 min read

Diagram showing the difference between first and final paystubs for a seasonal employee, highlighting short-tenure year to date totals.

Paystub Basics

Seasonal and Temporary Workers: What Their Paystubs Should Show

A seasonal employee paystub must record accurate hours, overtime splits, cumulative YTD figures across a short tenure, and final pay details without confusion.

Oct 1, 20269 min read

Comparison illustration showing state payroll tax differences and pay statement calculations across Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania

State Guides

Paycheck Calculator vs Actual Pay Stub: TX, IL and PA

Compare paycheck calculator estimates with real pay stubs in Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Learn why state tax rules and local withholdings cause variances.

Sep 30, 20269 min read

A conceptual graphic illustrating a pay stub next to an annual Form W-2 tax document.

YTD and Pay Details

W-2 Does Not Match Your Last Pay Stub? Box 1 Explained

A clear comparison of a pay stub vs. W-2, showing what each document reports, how final year-to-date paystub totals feed W-2 boxes, and when to use each.

Sep 29, 202613 min read

Flow diagram showing custom earnings and deduction lines feeding into a pay stub

Paystub Basics

Advanced Paystub Details: Custom Lines Without the Clutter

How to add custom earnings and deduction lines to a paystub without overloading it: split-or-combine rules, empty fields, memo notes and signs of clutter.

Sep 28, 20268 min read

A structured payroll accounting sheet showing separate entries for regular pay, holiday pay, premium overtime, and annual bonus amounts.

Paystub Basics

Holiday Pay on a Paystub: Overtime, Bonus and Premium Pay

How holiday pay, seasonal overtime, and year-end bonuses appear on a paystub. Explore itemized earnings lines, FLSA regular rates, supplemental tax withholding, and YTD effects.

Sep 26, 202614 min read

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