PSPayStubIQEstimate

Privacy-first paycheck audit

Check your paystub line by line

Enter non-sensitive totals from one paycheck. PayStubIQ checks the arithmetic, compares major tax lines with its documented 2026 model, and explains which differences deserve a closer look. Nothing is uploaded or saved.

1. Paycheck context

Use the same pay period and filing assumptions shown in your payroll profile. Do not upload a paystub or enter identifying information.

2. Tax lines from your paystub

Enter employee amounts for this check, not year-to-date totals. A positive difference means your paystub withheld more than this model.

3. Deductions and reported net pay

Separate common pre-tax deductions so the model can estimate taxable wages. Put insurance, garnishments, union dues, and other remaining deductions in the final deduction field.

What this checkup can—and cannot—tell you

The arithmetic check answers a factual question: do the taxes and deductions you entered reconcile gross pay to the reported net amount? A non-zero gap usually means a paystub line was omitted, entered as a year-to-date value, or grouped differently by the employer.

The model comparison answers a different question: are the major tax lines reasonably close to a standardized estimate using the selected state, filing status, and pay frequency? It is a diagnostic starting point, not proof that payroll is right or wrong. Form W-4 elections, state withholding certificates, year-to-date wage limits, local taxes, taxable fringe benefits, imputed income, special wage treatment, and employer rounding can all create legitimate differences.

How to investigate a difference

  1. Confirm that every amount came from the current-pay-period column, not the year-to-date column.
  2. Check whether gross pay includes taxable benefits, bonus pay, overtime, commissions, or imputed income.
  3. Compare the federal line with your current Form W-4 filing status, multiple-jobs selection, credits, other income, deductions, and extra withholding.
  4. Review state and local withholding elections separately; they do not necessarily mirror the federal W-4.
  5. Ask payroll to identify any remaining deduction or taxable-wage adjustment rather than emailing a complete paystub.

Official references