Payroll and Deductions

How 401(k), HSA, health insurance and other paycheck deductions work and what they do to take-home pay.

20 articles

A traditional 401(k) contribution lowers your income tax, so your take-home pay falls by less than the amount you put in.

The 2026 401(k) limit is $24,500, with larger catch-up contributions for workers 50 and older and a special catch-up at ages 60…

A 401(k) match adds employer money to your account when you contribute, and it never comes out of your take-home pay.

How pre-tax commuter benefits for transit, vanpools and parking work, and how much they can raise your take-home pay compared with paying…

How a dependent care FSA lets you pay for child care and adult day care with pre-tax pay, with rules, deadlines and…

What your final paycheck should include after you quit or are let go, how unused PTO and severance are taxed, and when…

Dollar for dollar, an FSA and an HSA save the same tax on your paycheck. The differences are eligibility, limits and what…

Health insurance premiums paid through your employer usually come out pre-tax, which lowers your income tax and FICA along with your pay.

The step-by-step process employers follow to turn hours or salary into a paycheck, with a worked overtime example and the employer taxes…

HSA contributions made through payroll skip income tax, Social Security and Medicare, so they cost you less per paycheck than you save.

How life and disability insurance premiums come out of your paycheck, when they're pre-tax or after-tax, and how that choice affects benefits…

How weekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly pay schedules work, how each changes your paycheck size, and what stays the same over a…