How to Write a Paycheck

Writing a paycheck should abide with the prevailing paycheck laws set by the state. The laws vary from one state to another as recommended by the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division.

The paycheck laws require employers to make accurate and timely payment to their employees.

Before proceeding to write a paycheck, it is important to understand the basic facts in making a payroll check. Obviously, making a paycheck involves some calculation from the gross to net wages of the employees. In order to make an accurate computation you should be good in calculating those wages.

The gross wage is the product of the number of hours an employee works multiple by the hourly or daily rate. Another factor to consider when writing a paycheck is the overtime. As long as you know and understand the computation of gross wage you can easily make manual paycheck calculation. On the other hand, the net wage is the amount left after deducting the employment taxes from the gross wages. In this sense, you need also to know the different local and state withholding tax.

Step by Step Instructions in Writing a Paycheck

  1. Before starting to write a paycheck, it is necessary to check with the state labor department regarding the minimum wage set by the state. This means that you should follow the regulated minimum wage or pay more than that but not less.
  2. If your payroll is small, you can use bank checks in writing paychecks. Usually, small businesses with few employees are using bank checks and manual payroll system.
  3. When writing employee’s paycheck you should include the necessary information such as the pay date, check number, name of employee, check amount in words and dollars as well as your signature. You can choose either to include or not the Social Security number of the employee. Likewise, the paycheck should have pre-printed information about the company name and address as well as the bank where it is drawn.
  4. If you have more than 10 employees, you can use payroll software. In this way you can save time and reduce errors. In this sense, you should buy software that suits the size of the payroll. There are software vendors that offer customized paychecks with the company’s information as well as authorized signature. During writing of paycheck and printing process the software fills out the employee’s paycheck data.

On the other hand, it is very important to invest in software that has direct-deposit capabilities. In this way, it can produce direct-deposit pay stubs. In the same manner, in writing a paycheck you should not forget to apply the basic facts based on the approved paycheck laws by the state. In this way, you can ensure that you are giving the accurate wage and payment to your employees in a timely manner.
 

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