Dollar Scholars Foundation

Chèk salè ak taks sou revni pèsonèl · Leson 1 nan 3

Read Your Pay Stub and Fill Out Your W-4

Learn what each line on your pay stub means, fill out Form W-4 step by step, and avoid a surprise tax bill or a refund that is bigger than it needs to be.

  • Sou 15 min
  • Kesyon egzamen: 5
  • Dènye tcheke: September 2026
  • Bati sou: Money Smart for Adults, Module 3: Your Income and Expenses

Pati nan leson sa a yo pa tradui nan lang ou ankò, kidonk yo montre nan lang angle.

Nan leson sa a

Kisa w pral aprann

  • Identify each deduction on a pay stub, including income tax, Social Security, and Medicare.
  • Explain how Form W-4 controls how much federal income tax is withheld from your pay.
  • Decide when to update your withholding after a life change, such as a second job or a new child.
  • Tell the difference between an employee (W-2) and an independent contractor (1099).

Ki jan sa konekte ak klas nou yo: Our class introduces pay statements and Form W-4. This lesson adds a sample pay stub with real numbers, a walk-through of each W-4 step, and the rules for people who live in one part of the DC area and work in another.

Mo pou konnen

Brit salè (Gross pay)
Peman total ou anvan anyen yo pran deyò.
Peye nèt (Net pay)
Lajan ou aktyèlman resevwa apre taks ak lòt dediksyon Yo rele tou peye lakay ou.
Kenbe kenbe (Withholding)
Lajan anplwayè ou pran sou salè ou epi voye bay gouvènman an pou peye taks ou yo.
Fòm W-4 (Form W-4)
Fòm federal ou bay anplwayè w la pou di li konbyen taks sou revni federal pou w pran sou salè w la.
Taks FICA (FICA taxes)
Sekirite Sosyal ak taks Medicare FICA kanpe pou Lwa sou Kontribisyon Asirans Federal la
Kontraktè endepandan (Independent contractor)
Yon travayè endepandan Yo pa kenbe taks epi travayè a jwenn yon Fòm 1099 olye yon Fòm W-2.

Souch peye ou, liy pa liy

Yon souch peman (yo rele tou yon deklarasyon peye) vini ak chak chèk salè oswa depo dirèk, sou papye oswa sou entènèt. Tcheke li chak jou peman. Li montre kijan ou peye te kalkile epi li se souvan premye kote pou jwenn yon erè.

Brit salè
Èdtan ou fwa pousantaj salè ou, plis nenpòt tan siplemantè. Sa a se salè ou anvan yo pran anyen
Dediksyon anvan taks
Lajan pran anvan kèk taks yo kalkile, tankou asirans sante oswa ekonomi pou retrèt. Yo bese peman an ki se takse
Taks yo
Taks sou revni federal, taks sou revni eta oswa DC, Sekirite Sosyal, ak Medicare.
Dediksyon apre taks
Lajan pran apre taks, tankou devwa sendika oswa yon saisisman salè òdone tribinal la.
Peye nèt
Ki sa ki rete pou ou. Sa a se ou pran kay peye
YTD (ane jiska dat)
Total depi 1 janvye Fòm W-2 ou pou ane a baze sou total sa yo.

Epitou tcheke non ou, dat peryòd peman an, èdtan ou, ak pousantaj salè ou. Si gen yon bagay ki mal, di anplwayè w la alekri touswit epi kenbe yon kopi.

Egzanp

Souch salè Ana a, ak nimewo reyèl

Ana ap viv nan Hyattsville, Maryland, epi li travay kòm asistan medikal nan Northwest DC. Li touche $ 20 yon èdtan epi yo peye chak de semèn pou 80 èdtan. Asirans sante li soti anvan taks Montan taks sou revni yo se sèlman echantiyon.

Peye Ana pou de semèn (echantiyon chèk peye)
Liy sou souch laPeryòd peman sa a
Brit salè (80 èdtan × $20)$ 1,600.00
Asirans sante (anvan taks)−$60.00
Taks sou Sekirite Sosyal (6.2%)−$95.48
Taks sou Medicare (1.45%)−$22.33
Taks sou revni federal−$101.00
Enpo sou revni eta ak konte Maryland−$98.00
Peman nèt (peye lakay ou)$ 1,223.19

$1,600 brit salè − $60 asirans sante = $1,540 takse sou Sekirite Sosyal ak Medicare

$1,540 × 6.2% = $95.48 pou Sekirite Sosyal

$1,540 × 1.45% = $22.33 pou Medicare

Remake ke pa gen okenn taks DC soti, menm si Ana ap travay nan DC. DC pa takse salè moun ki abite andeyò DC. Ana peye taks Maryland pito, ak nan Maryland ki gen ladan taks sou revni konte.

Sekirite Sosyal ak Medicare: taks ki bati avni ou

Taks sou Sekirite Sosyal se 6.2% nan salè ou. Taks sou Medicare se 1.45%. Anplwayè w la peye menm kantite lajan an ankò, anplis de peman ou. Ansanm yo rele sa taks FICA. Pifò travayè pa ka patisipe nan yo.

Taks sa yo peye pou retrèt, andikap ak benefis sivivan yo, epi pou pwoteksyon sante Medicare, ki nòmalman kòmanse a laj 65 an. Lè w travay epi w peye taks sa yo, ou touche kredi Sekirite Sosyal. An 2026, ou touche yon kredi pou chak $1,890 ou touche, jiska kat kredi pa ane. Pifò moun bezwen 40 kredi pou jwenn avantaj pou retrèt. (Taks Sekirite Sosyal sispann depi peman w pou ane a rive nan $184,500, limit 2026 la. Taks Medicare pa gen limit.)

Asire w non ki sou dosye peman ou a matche ak kat Sekirite Sosyal ou a, oswa salè ou pa ka ba ou. Ou ka tcheke dosye salè ou a avèk yon kont sekirite sosyal mwen gratis

Fill out Form W-4, step by step

Form W-4 tells your employer how much federal income tax to take out of your pay. You fill it out when you start a job, and you can give your employer a new one at any time. Everyone completes Steps 1 and 5. Do Steps 2 to 4 only if they apply to you.

  1. Step 1, personal information: your name, address, Social Security number, and filing status (single or married filing separately, married filing jointly, or head of household). Most single people choose single. A married couple usually files one return together (married filing jointly). An unmarried person who pays most of the costs of a home for a child or other relative they support may be able to file as head of household, which lowers the tax.
  2. Step 2, more than one job: use this step if you have two or more jobs at the same time, or if you are married filing jointly and your spouse also works. The most accurate way is the free IRS Tax Withholding Estimator. If there are only two jobs in total and the pay is similar, you can check the box in Step 2(c) on the W-4 for both jobs.
  3. Step 3, children and other dependents: on the 2026 form, if your income will be $200,000 or less ($400,000 or less if married filing jointly), multiply the number of qualifying children under 17 by $2,200 and other dependents by $500. This lowers your withholding, because these credits lower your tax.
  4. Step 4, other adjustments: enter other income that has no tax taken out (4a), deductions other than the standard deduction (4b), or extra tax you want taken out of each paycheck (4c).
  5. Step 5, sign and date: the form is not valid without your signature.

If you have more than one job, fill out Steps 3, 4(a), and 4(b) on the W-4 for only one job, usually the one that pays the most. Leave them blank on the others.

The 2026 Step 4(b) worksheet includes new federal deductions for qualified tips and overtime pay. If you expect to claim them, adding them can raise your take-home pay. Learn who qualifies in File for Free and Claim the Credits You Earned.

Your state or DC has its own withholding form: Form D-4 in DC, Form MW507 in Maryland, and Form VA-4 in Virginia.

Egzanp

Two jobs and a surprise tax bill

Lucía is single and lives in Alexandria, Virginia. She has two part-time jobs. Each pays $20,000 a year. She filled out a simple W-4 at each job and skipped Step 2.

Each employer thinks its job is her only job. So each one subtracts the full 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) before it figures her tax. The standard deduction is an amount of income that is not taxed. Income above it is taxed in steps called tax brackets: the first $12,400 at 10%, the next part at 12%, and so on. Only the dollars inside a step pay that step's rate. These simplified numbers show federal income tax only. Real withholding tables differ a little, but the idea is the same.

Lucía's 2026 federal income tax (simplified)
LineAmount
Job 1 withholds: ($20,000 − $16,100) × 10%$390
Job 2 withholds the same$390
Total withheld during the year$780
Tax she really owes on $23,900 of taxable income ($40,000 − $16,100): 10% of the first $12,400, plus 12% of the rest$2,620
Amount she may owe when she files$1,840

The fix: Lucía uses the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator, or checks the Step 2(c) box on the W-4 for both jobs. With the box checked, each employer uses half of the standard deduction and half of each tax bracket. A little more comes out of each paycheck, and there is no big bill at tax time.

With Step 2(c) checked: about $1,310 withheld per job × 2 jobs = about $2,620 for the year

Viv nan yon kote, travay nan yon lòt

Anpil moun nan zòn DC ap viv nan yon eta oswa nan DC epi yo travay nan yon lòt. Ant DC, Maryland ak Virginia, salè ou anjeneral takse sèlman kote w ap viv la. DC pa taks salè moun ki ap viv andeyò DC. Maryland ak Virginia jeneralman pa takse salè moun ki ap viv nan DC oswa nan eta youn lòt.

  • Abite nan Maryland oswa Vijini, travay nan DC: Taks sou revni DC pa ta dwe soti nan salè ou. Bay anplwayè ou DC Fòm D-4A (Sètifika Non-Rezidans) Taks eta lakay ou ta dwe soti pito.
  • Abite nan DC, travay nan Maryland oswa Virginia: bay anplwayè w la Fòm MW507 (Maryland) oswa Fòm VA-4 (Virginia) pou reklame egzanpsyon an. Ou peye enpo sou revni DC.
  • Viv nan Maryland epi travay nan Vijini, oswa ranvèse a: anjeneral sèlman eta lakay ou takse salè ou, si ou pa kenbe yon kay nan eta kote ou travay epi ou pa pase plis pase 183 jou pa ane la. Bay anplwayè ou a fòm pou eta kote ou travay la (VA-4 oswa MW507).
  • Viv nan Maryland: prelèvman Maryland ou gen ladan tou taks sou revni konte a.

Règ sa yo se pou salè. Tcheke premye souch pèman ou nan yon nouvo travay Si taks eta lakay ou a pa soti, mande biwo pewòl ou. Si anplwayè w la pa kenbe li, ou ka bezwen peye taks sa a tèt ou pandan ane a, kidonk ou pa dwe yon gwo kantite, plis yon penalite, lè w deklare la.

Atansyon

Peye sou yon 1099 men trete tankou yon anplwaye?

Yon anplwaye resevwa yon Fòm W-2 Anplwayè a kenbe taks epi peye mwatye nan taks sou Sekirite Sosyal ak Medicare a. Yon kontraktè endepandan jwenn yon Fòm 1099-NEC Anyen pa kenbe, epi travayè a peye tou de mwatye kòm taks travay pou tèt yo.

Gen kèk biznis rele travayè kontraktè pou evite peye taks ak benefis yo. Yo rele sa misclassification. Ou ka yon anplwaye si:

  • Konpayi an fikse èdtan ou epi di ou ki jan yo fè travay la.
  • Konpayi an ba ou zouti yo, founiti oswa inifòm.
  • Ou peye pa èdtan epi yo pa ka mete pwòp pri ou.
  • Ou travay sèlman Pou konpayi sa a, Pa gen okenn dat fen.
  • Ou jwenn benefis yo, tankou peye vakans.

Si sa sanble ak travay ou, ou kapab mande IRS pou deside avèk Fòm SS-8. Repons lan ka pran sis mwa oswa plis. Si ou te mal klase, Fòm 8919 la ka pèmèt ou peye sèlman pati anplwaye Sekirite Sosyal ak taks Medicare. Pou èd gratis, kontakte yon Klinik Kontribyab Revni Fèb oswa èd legal, tankou Legal Aid DC, Maryland Legal Aid oswa Legal Services of Northern Virginia.

Konsèy

Tcheke prelèvman ou chak ane

Itilize Estimatè Prelèvman Taks IRS la byen bonè chak ane epi apre nenpòt gwo chanjman, tankou yon nouvo travay, yon dezyèm travay, maryaj, divòs, yon nouvo tibebe oswa yon gwo ogmantasyon Li gratis, li pa bezwen konekte, epi li pran anviwon 25 minit. Fè dènye souch pèman ou ak deklarasyon taks ane pase a pare.

Objektif la se yon ti ranbousman oswa yon ti bòdwo. Yon ranbousman gwo anpil vle di twòp nan pwòp salè ou te fèt tout ane a, san okenn enterè peye ou. Yon bòdwo gwo vle di twò piti yo te wete soti.

Reklame egzante de prelèvman sèlman si ou pa dwe okenn enpo sou revni federal ane pase a epi espere ou pa dwe anyen ane sa a. Yon W-4 egzante dire yon ane. Pou 2026, ou dwe bay anplwayè w la yon nouvo anvè 16 fevriye 2027.

Takeaways kle

  • Gross pay is what you earn. Net pay is what you take home after taxes and other deductions.
  • Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) come out of almost every paycheck and count toward your future benefits.
  • Give your employer a new W-4 when your life changes, such as a second job, marriage, or a new child.
  • Between DC, Maryland, and Virginia, your wages are usually taxed only where you live, not where you work.
  • If a company controls how, when, and where you work, you may be an employee, even if it gives you a 1099.

Tcheke konpreyansyon ou

Reponn kesyon yo, lè sa a, chwazi Tcheke repons mwen yo. Jwenn 4 nan 5 dwa pou konplete leson sa a. Sa a se pratik: pa gen okenn limit tan, epi nou pa kenbe repons ou yo.

Kesyon 1 5 Kofi a brit salè semèn sa a se $ 1,000 Pa gen anyen ki pran soti anvan taks Konbyen taks sou Sekirite Sosyal ta dwe soti nan salè l '?
Kesyon 2 5 Lucía se yon sèl epi li kòmanse yon dezyèm travay a tan pasyèl. Tou de travay peye sou menm bagay la tou. Kisa li ta dwe fè pou ke ase taks sou revni federal yo kenbe?
Kesyon 3 5 Samuel ap viv nan Silver Spring, Maryland, epi li travay a plen tan nan yon otèl nan anba lavil DC. Anplis taks federal, ki taks sou revni ta dwe soti nan salè li?
Kesyon 4 5 Grace travay pou yon konpayi netwayaj Konpayi an fikse lè l 'yo, di li kijan pou netwaye epi ba li pwovizyon yo ak inifòm. Yo peye li pa èdtan Nan fen ane a li jwenn yon Fòm 1099-NEC, pa yon W-2. Kisa se vre?
Kesyon 5 5 Dawit dwe kèk taks sou revni federal chak ane, men twòp pran soti nan salè l ', kidonk li jwenn yon ranbousman $ 3,000 chak ane. Pifò mwa li pa gen ase lajan pou lwaye. Pa gen anyen nan lavi l 'chanje. Ki sa ki se yon bon etap?

Ale pi lwen

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