Income
Pay Stub: Definition & Example
Also called: Paystub, Pay slip, Earnings statement
What Is a Pay Stub?
A pay stub is a document that accompanies a paycheck and itemizes the employee’s gross pay, taxes, deductions, and net pay for the pay period and year to date.
What does pay stub mean?
A typical pay stub shows the employer’s and employee’s names, the pay period and pay date, hours and rate (for hourly workers), gross pay, each tax and deduction, net pay, and year-to-date totals.
Pay stubs are the most common proof of income for renters. Landlords usually ask for the two or three most recent. They are easy to provide but also easy to fake, since online generators can produce realistic-looking stubs in minutes.
Checking a pay stub means looking for math that adds up, YTD totals consistent with the pay date, a real employer, and, where possible, matching deposits in bank records.
Pay stub example
A pay stub for the period ending March 15 shows 80 hours at $25, for $2,000 gross. It lists $180 federal tax, $80 state tax, $153 Social Security and Medicare, and $1,587 net pay, with $10,000 gross year to date after five biweekly paychecks.
Related terms
- Year-to-Date EarningsYear-to-date (YTD) earnings are the total gross pay an employee has received from January 1 of the current year through the most recent pay date, as shown on a pay stub.
- Fake Pay StubA fake pay stub is a fabricated or altered earnings statement used to misrepresent income, often made with online pay stub generators or by editing a real stub.
- Proof of IncomeProof of income is documentation showing how much money a person earns, such as pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, an employer letter, or a benefits statement.
- W-2 IncomeW-2 income is wages paid to an employee and reported on IRS Form W-2, with income and payroll taxes withheld by the employer before the employee is paid.
- Net IncomeNet income is what remains after deductions. For a person, it is take-home pay after taxes and withholdings. For a business, it is profit after all expenses.
Pay stub FAQ
- How many pay stubs do landlords ask for?
- Usually the two or three most recent, or one to two months’ worth, depending on pay frequency.
- What if I do not get pay stubs?
- Alternatives include an offer letter, an employment verification letter, tax returns, bank statements, benefit letters, or a bank-connected income report.
