Pay, Taxes and Tax Forms, Explained.
Plain-English answers about pay stubs, withholding, W-2s and 1099s, with the 2026 numbers. Looking for how to use Paystub.biz? See the help center.
Pay stubs
Reading, making and keeping pay stubs.
- How to make a pay stub, step by stepWhat a pay stub has to show, the details to gather first, how to work out gross pay, taxes and net pay, and the mistakes that make a stub look wrong.6 min read
- How to read a pay stub, section by sectionA plain walk-through of every part of a pay stub: pay period and pay date, earnings, pre-tax deductions, taxes, net pay and the year-to-date columns.5 min read
- Pay stub abbreviations and what they meanWhat FIT, OASDI, MED, SIT, SDI, FLI, YTD, PTO and dozens of other pay stub abbreviations mean, grouped into earnings, taxes, deductions and totals.6 min read
- What does YTD mean on a pay stub?YTD means year to date: the running total of your pay, taxes and deductions since January 1. How it adds up, why it matters and how to spot a wrong figure.4 min read
Payroll taxes
Withholding, FICA and take-home pay.
- Gross vs net pay: what comes out of your paycheckGross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out. Net pay is what reaches your bank. See every deduction in between, with a full worked paycheck.6 min read
- What is FICA tax? Social Security and Medicare in 2026FICA is 7.65% of most paychecks: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 in 2026, plus 1.45% Medicare. Rates, the employer match, caps and examples.5 min read
- Biweekly vs semimonthly pay: what's the difference?Biweekly pay means 26 paychecks a year and semimonthly means 24. See how per-check pay, three-paycheck months, overtime and budgeting differ, with examples.5 min read
W-2, 1099 and W-9
Which form, which box, which deadline.
- W-2 vs 1099: employee or independent contractor?How the IRS decides whether a worker is an employee or a contractor, what a W-2 and a 1099-NEC report, and how withholding and self-employment tax differ.5 min read
- W-2 box 12 codes: what each code meansEvery Form W-2 box 12 code from A to TT in plain English, including the new 2026 codes for tips, overtime and Trump accounts, and which ones change taxable wages.6 min read
- How to fill out a W-9, line by lineWho asks for a Form W-9 and why, how to fill out each line of the March 2024 revision, SSN or EIN, LLC boxes, backup withholding and how to send it safely.5 min read
- W-2 and 1099 deadlines for 2027 (tax year 2026)W-2, W-3, 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC due dates for tax year 2026, with weekend and holiday shifts, e-file rules, extensions, penalties and the new $2,000 threshold.5 min read
Proof of income
Showing what you earn when you need to.