> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pluvel.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pay Stubs

> Generate and access employee pay stubs.

"Where did my money go?" is the most common payroll question. Pay stubs answer it — showing exactly what an employee earned, what came out for taxes and deductions, and what landed in their bank account.

Every payroll run generates pay stubs automatically. Here's what's on them.

## Pay stub contents

### Earnings (what they made)

| Line item     | What it is                                      |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Regular pay   | Hours × rate (hourly) or period salary          |
| Overtime      | Hours over 40 × overtime rate                   |
| Bonus         | Performance, holiday, signing bonuses           |
| Commission    | Sales commissions                               |
| Other         | Reimbursements, tips, etc.                      |
| **Gross pay** | Everything added up (before anything comes out) |

### Deductions (what came out)

| Line item          | What it is                            |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------- |
| Federal income tax | Based on W-4 withholding              |
| State income tax   | Based on state withholding form       |
| Social Security    | 6.2% of wages (up to limit)           |
| Medicare           | 1.45% of all wages                    |
| Health insurance   | Pre-tax premium                       |
| 401(k)             | Retirement contributions              |
| Other deductions   | Anything else coming out              |
| **Net pay**        | What actually hits their bank account |

### Year-to-date totals

Every pay stub shows running totals for the year:

* YTD gross pay
* YTD taxes withheld (federal, state, FICA)
* YTD deductions
* YTD net pay

Useful for tax planning. "How much have I paid in taxes so far this year?"

## Viewing pay stubs

### For you (admin)

1. Go to **Payroll → Pay Stubs**
2. Filter by employee, pay period, or date range
3. Click any stub to view or download

### For employees

With self-service enabled (recommended):

1. Employee logs into their portal
2. Goes to **Pay Stubs**
3. Views current and past stubs
4. Downloads PDFs as needed

No more "can you send me my pay stub?" emails.

## Pay stub delivery

### Email (recommended)

1. Go to **Settings → Payroll → Pay Stubs**
2. Enable **Email pay stubs**
3. Employees automatically get stubs on pay day

### Portal access

Pay stubs are always available in the employee portal, even if you don't email them.

### Paper stubs

For employees who prefer paper (or don't have email):

1. Open the pay stub
2. Click **Print**
3. Hand it to them

Some companies print stubs and include them with paper checks.

## Downloading pay stubs

### Individual stub

Click any pay stub to download a PDF.

### Bulk download

1. Go to **Pay Stubs**
2. Select date range (or all employees for a period)
3. Click **Download All**
4. Get a ZIP file with all stubs

Useful for audits or when you need to send records to your accountant.

## Pay stub history

Pay stubs are retained for 7 years:

* Current year: always available
* Previous years: accessible in the archive

Employees can access their own history through self-service.

## Customizing pay stubs

### Your branding

Make stubs look official:

1. Go to **Settings → Payroll → Pay Stubs**
2. Upload your company logo
3. Add company address and contact info

### Privacy settings

Control what appears on stubs:

| Setting         | Options                      |
| --------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Employee SSN    | Full, last 4 only, or hidden |
| Bank account    | Full, last 4 only, or hidden |
| Company address | Show or hide                 |
| PTO balances    | Show or hide                 |

Most companies show last 4 digits only for security.

## State requirements

Some states mandate specific information on pay stubs:

| State       | What they require                                                              |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| California  | Detailed itemization including hours, rates, deductions, employer name/address |
| New York    | Gross/net wages, deductions, rate of pay                                       |
| Most states | Basic earning and deduction information                                        |

Pluvel automatically formats stubs to meet your state's requirements. You don't need to think about this.

## Pay stub errors

If something's wrong on a pay stub:

1. Identify the error (wrong hours? missing bonus?)
2. Correct it on the next regular payroll, or
3. Run an off-cycle correction payroll
4. New stub generates with the correction

<Info>
  Original stubs are never deleted — corrections appear as separate entries. This preserves the audit trail.
</Info>

## Common employee questions

| Question                                 | Answer                                                                  |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Why is my net pay less than last time?" | Check if deductions changed (benefits, 401k) or if hours were different |
| "What's OASDI?"                          | Social Security tax (sometimes labeled differently)                     |
| "Why did my tax withholding change?"     | You may have hit an annual limit, or your W-4 settings changed          |

<Card title="Payroll taxes" icon="landmark" href="/features/payroll/payroll-taxes">
  Understand what gets withheld and why.
</Card>