Upload a pay stub or enter your paycheck numbers. PayslipIQ USA explains your gross pay, federal withholding, FICA, state taxes, deductions, overtime, benefits, and take-home pay in plain English — in around 30 seconds.
Built for employees who want to understand their paycheck before they panic, challenge payroll, or make assumptions.
Educational guidance only. Not tax, legal, payroll, accounting, employment, credit, or financial advice. PayslipIQ USA is not a consumer reporting agency.
Upload a photo, PDF, or screenshot of your pay stub, or enter your paycheck numbers manually. PayslipIQ organises the figures and explains what each line may mean.
PayslipIQ explains a pay stub the way a calm colleague who knows payroll would — without overclaiming, without legal advice, and without fluff.
Add a pay stub image, PDF, or screenshot — or type your paycheck numbers manually. Cover or crop sensitive details first.
We organise gross pay, taxes, FICA, deductions, overtime, benefits, and net pay into a clean, readable report.
See what looks normal, what may need checking, and what specific questions to ask payroll. Educational only.
PayslipIQ walks through the numbers most American workers see — and explains what each one usually means.
Hours × rate or salary ÷ pay periods.
How your W-4 shapes federal tax.
Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%.
Where it applies and at what rate.
For states with city-level payroll tax.
Federal FLSA plus state overtime rules.
401(k), HSA, FSA, transit, parking.
Health, dental, vision, life, disability.
Items worth checking with payroll.
What lands in your bank.
America does not have one simple national pay-stub rule. Federal law requires wage and hour records for covered employers, but pay stub delivery and itemisation rules are mainly state-specific. PayslipIQ USA helps you understand the right questions to ask based on your state.
State rules change. This is educational information only, not legal advice. Confirm with your state revenue or labor agency.
Each line gets one of three calm status labels. No alarmism. No legal claims.
The figure looks consistent with the inputs and typical ranges.
Something changed or looks unusual — worth a closer look.
Code or amount is unfamiliar — ask payroll for an itemised explanation.
Status labels are educational. They do not prove an employer error, certify payroll accuracy, or determine that money is owed.
“Hi payroll — could you confirm why the health premium increased this period? I want to make sure my benefit elections are correct.”
PayslipIQ is for the person looking at a pay stub and quietly asking, “Wait — does this look right?”
Hours × rate, overtime, premium pay — explained in plain English.
Salary ÷ pay periods, withholding changes, benefit deductions.
Variable pay, multiple jobs, multi-state tax considerations.
Federal FLSA plus stricter state rules where they apply.
401(k), HSA, FSA, health, dental, parking, transit.
A clearer view of how your W-4 shapes federal tax.
First paycheck doesn't look like you expected? Walk through it.
See what changed — and what to ask payroll about.
Quick answers to the questions American workers actually search. Each links to a deeper guide.
Common causes: a W-4 update, year-to-date earnings crossing a higher tax bracket, a bonus taxed at supplemental rates, a benefits change, a new retirement contribution, or a new garnishment. The Pay Stub Checker walks you through each line so you can see what changed.
Read the guideFICA is the Federal Insurance Contributions Act — Social Security tax (6.2%) plus Medicare tax (1.45%), 7.65% combined on most wages. Social Security stops once your wages cross the annual wage base; Medicare has no cap (with an extra 0.9% over $200,000 YTD).
Read the guideA different W-4, a change in filing status or dependents, a bonus taxed under supplemental rules, year-to-date wages crossing a bracket, or an employer payroll setting can all change federal withholding. PayslipIQ explains where the math came from.
Read the guideBenefit elections, retirement changes, new garnishments, or one-time pay items can change deductions period-to-period. Compare against your benefits portal and recent W-4 — and ask payroll if anything looks unfamiliar.
Read the guideMost employers list overtime hours and pay separately. If yours doesn't, ask payroll to itemise it. The federal FLSA requires 1.5× regular rate over 40 hours per workweek for non-exempt employees; some states have stricter daily overtime rules.
Read the guideBe specific. Ask for an itemised breakdown of the figure that looks off, the source of any deduction code you don't recognise, and how a recent W-4 change was applied. PayslipIQ's Ask Payroll Generator drafts a polite, specific message.
Read the guideNo. Federal law requires wage and hour records for covered employers, but pay stub delivery and itemisation rules are mainly state-specific. Some states require itemised wage statements; others do not. State rules change.
Read the guideNo. PayslipIQ can help organise your pay stub and flag questions worth reviewing, but it cannot make legal findings. Speak to your employer, payroll department, state labor agency, attorney, CPA, or a qualified professional before acting.
Read the guideNo. PayslipIQ USA provides educational guidance only. It is not legal, tax, accounting, payroll, employment, credit, or financial advice.
No. PayslipIQ can help organise your pay stub and flag questions worth reviewing, but it cannot make legal findings. Speak to your employer, payroll department, state labor agency, attorney, CPA, or qualified professional before acting.
No. PayslipIQ does not need your full Social Security number. You should cover or crop SSN, bank details, employee IDs, or sensitive information before uploading.
No. PayslipIQ USA is not a consumer reporting agency and must not be used for employment screening, tenant screening, lending, insurance, credit, immigration, benefits eligibility, or any decision affecting a person's legal rights.
No. Results are estimates and explanations based on the information provided. Always confirm with payroll, your employer, the IRS, state labor agencies, or a qualified professional.
No. PayslipIQ is an educational paycheck explanation tool. It does not replace tax software, payroll professionals, CPAs, attorneys, or official government guidance.
Yes. Pay stub requirements and wage statement rules vary by state. State rules may change — confirm with your state labor or revenue agency.
PayslipIQ USA provides educational guidance only. It is not legal, tax, accounting, payroll, employment, credit, financial, or consumer reporting advice. Results are estimates based on the information you enter or upload and may be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate. PayslipIQ USA does not verify income, certify payroll accuracy, determine legal violations, or confirm that money is owed. PayslipIQ is independent and not affiliated with the IRS, SSA, U.S. Department of Labor, any state tax agency, employer, or payroll provider. Always confirm with your employer, payroll department, the IRS, your state labor or revenue agency, a CPA, attorney, or another qualified professional before acting.
PayslipIQ USA is not a consumer reporting agency. PayslipIQ USA must not be used for employment screening, tenant screening, lending, insurance, credit, immigration, benefits eligibility, or any decision affecting a person's legal rights. Outputs are educational estimates and explanations only — they are not consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) or any analogous state law.
Run a quick educational check and get a clearer view of your pay, taxes, deductions, overtime, and take-home amount. No signup. No claims. Just clarity.
Educational guidance only. Not tax, legal, payroll, accounting, employment, credit, or financial advice. PayslipIQ USA is not a consumer reporting agency.