A pay stub form contains all the information about an employee’s pay. This Workspirited article tells you how to create pay stub forms with samples.
Fast Fact:
You can use your latest pay stub to calculate your tax refund. You can also use it to furnish certain information in your tax return, in case you do not have the IRS tax Form W-2 at that moment. However, you cannot e-file the return without the W-2 form.
Prior to the advent of the World Wide Web, paychecks were issued personally to employees. Of course, one still receives salary slips that contain information about the wage distribution. However, back in the earlier days, paper documents were the main evidence of how many hours an employee has put in, how much he has received, how much has been deducted, etc. Even though we use the direct deposit method nowadays, employers still furnish documents containing important salary information. They are called pay stubs. In the paragraphs below, you will learn how to create pay stubs. Some free printable paycheck stubs are also provided for your convenience.
A Background
- As mentioned in the introduction, pay stubs used to be a norm in the earlier days.
- Most of the organizations supply one even today, except that there is no check attached (like earlier).
- Do not get confused between a paycheck and a pay stub. When your company/bank/financial institution pays you by means of a direct deposit/check, the document is called a paycheck.
- The details of your paycheck are provided in another paper document. This is called pay stub.
- It can be known by additional names – paycheck stub, pay advice, pay slip, salary slip, etc.
- It is called a ‘pay stub’ because it used to be attached to the check that the employees were given. The employees had to tear the document from the check alongside a dotted line.
- The check has been replaced by online transfer methods, but the pay stub still remains, as a proof for the paycheck and related details.
- It contains information, like regular earnings, overtime, back pay, deductions, etc.
Free Printable Pay Stubs
You can download the following pay stub templates:
◆Pay stub form template I in Word
◆Pay stub form template II in Word
◆ Pay stub form template I in Excel
◆ Pay stub form template II in Excel
MICROSOFT WORD
Step I
- To begin with, open a blank Microsoft Word document.
- You can ideally follow any pattern for your organization; however, it would be better to follow a standard format to retain originality.
- On the left or right side of the page, you can have your official logo. To select the picture, you can use the Insert → From File option. Most standard templates will have an empty area titled ‘LOGO’ so that you can understand that you have to affix your logo in that place. However, while you are personally creating them, you can use the picture directly.
Step II
- Write your company name, date, and company address, one below the other, in the center of the page. This placement should not affect your logo.
- Leave a couple of lines for proper spacing. Then, insert a table with the required number of rows and columns. This will depend on whatever information you choose to display.
- While some forms display the earnings and deductions as one table, some prefer displaying this data separately. You can choose whatever format you want.
Step III
- If you intend to display separate tables, in the first table, display your earnings, rate, hours put in, and final amount.
- In the next table, display your withholdings and the respective amount.
- Insert another table below that displays the final amount with deductions.
Step IV
- Adjust the page margins and save it as a ‘.doc’ file. Preview the page once and rectify any obvious errors.
- Your template is ready. You can print the required number of copies.
MICROSOFT EXCEL
Step I
- Open a blank Microsoft Excel document.
- Unlike Word, you do not have to insert any table here, you have ready-made rows and columns.
- You can insert a logo directly into the document just like how you did in the previous example. In ready-made templates, this is done by merging the required number of cells to create space for the logo.
Step II
- Insert the company name, address, employee name, etc., exactly as how it was done in the previous example.
- Display your earnings, deductions, taxes, etc., in the required format. Now, select the area you want to display in a table format, i.e., the rows and columns are already there, but you have to highlight a section that displays the important information.
- Select the area, right-click, and select Format Cells.
- Click on the Borders tab and select the appropriate border.
Step III
- To set page attributes, go to Format on the menu bar.
- Select Page and set the appropriate width and height.
- Display your information neatly and preview the page. Set proper margins if necessary.
- Your template is done. Print the required number of copies.
Sample
COMPANY LOGO
[Company Name][Date][Company Address]
[Employee Name][Employee ID][Employee Address]
Description | Hours | Rate | Earnings | Deductions | Amount | Year to Date |
Regular pay | 0.00 | Federal Tax | ||||
Overtime Pay | State Tax | |||||
Vacation Pay | ||||||
Back pay |
Pay Period | Year to Date | |
Earnings | ||
Taxes | ||
Deductions | ||
Net Pay | ||
Check Amount | ||
Check Number |
There are many simple, online tools available on the internet using which one can create pay stubs. However, Word and Excel are great options too; they are simple to create, fill, and use. You can take your pick when you need to issue pay stub forms to your employees.