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Pay stub and payroll guides
Simple, practical guides to pay stubs, paycheck taxes and payroll records. Written for small business owners, freelancers and independent contractors, with the free tool that applies linked from each one.
Featured guides
Pay StubsCan you file taxes with your last pay stub?
Not on its own. When your W-2 never arrives, your final pay stub fills in Form 4852 after you contact the employer and the IRS. Here is the order, and the line 7 adjustments.
Small Business PayrollHow many hours is part time? Full time vs part time hours
No federal law sets part-time hours. See what the BLS, ACA, FMLA and retirement rules each count, what they mean in hours a week, and how to set your own line.
Contractors and 1099How to fill out a 1099-NEC, box by box
How to fill out Form 1099-NEC for 2026, box by box: what goes in box 1a, the new tips and overtime boxes, the new reporting floor and backup withholding.
All guides
Pay StubsCan you file taxes with your last pay stub?
Not on its own. When your W-2 never arrives, your final pay stub fills in Form 4852 after you contact the employer and the IRS. Here is the order, and the line 7 adjustments.
Small Business PayrollHow many hours is part time? Full time vs part time hours
No federal law sets part-time hours. See what the BLS, ACA, FMLA and retirement rules each count, what they mean in hours a week, and how to set your own line.
Contractors and 1099How to fill out a 1099-NEC, box by box
How to fill out Form 1099-NEC for 2026, box by box: what goes in box 1a, the new tips and overtime boxes, the new reporting floor and backup withholding.
Tax FormsW-2 and 1099 deadlines for January 2027
W-2s and 1099-NECs for 2026 are due February 1, 2027. Every January to March date for small employers, the e-file count rule and what late filing costs.
Contractors and 1099Do 1099 Contractors Get Pay Stubs?
Why 1099 contractors do not get pay stubs, what clients send instead, the 2026 1099-NEC threshold, estimated taxes, and how contractors show income.
Small Business PayrollHow to Calculate Gross Pay: Hourly, Salary and Partial Periods
How to calculate gross pay for hourly and salaried employees, with worked examples, overtime, tips and three ways to prorate a partial-period salary.
Pay StubsPay Stub Abbreviations and Codes, A to Z
Every common pay stub abbreviation from 401K to YTD, what it means and where it sits on the stub, plus a real stub decoded line by line.
Pay StubsIs the EIN on a Pay Stub? Where to Find It
Where the employer’s EIN appears on a pay stub, how to tell it from your employee ID and SSN, and where else to find it when the stub leaves it off.
Small Business PayrollWhat Is an Accountable Plan? IRS Rules for Reimbursements
What an accountable plan is, the three IRS rules it must meet, per-mile allowances and code L, and what a flat car allowance costs in tax, with a worked example.