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Free payroll templates: payroll register and payroll check with stub

An Excel payroll register that totals each pay run, and a printable payroll check with an attached pay stub. Both download free with no watermark.

Last updated September 25, 2026
PAYROLL REGISTER
XLSX

Payroll register (Excel)

Twenty employee rows per pay run with formulas for regular pay, overtime at 1.5x, gross pay, Social Security, Medicare and net pay, a totals row, and a YTD summary sheet.

Download XLSXExcel 2010 or later, Google Sheets
PAYROLL CHECK
DOCX

Payroll check with stub (Word)

A check layout with payee, amount, memo and signature lines, a detachable line, and a full pay stub with earnings, deductions and net pay underneath. Prints on Letter.

Download DOCXWord, Google Docs, LibreOffice
Need the withholding figures for each row?

The pay stub generator calculates federal, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for one employee at a time. Copy the amounts into the register.

Open the generator

How to use the payroll register

  1. Enter the pay period and pay date at the top.
  2. For each employee, type the hours, hourly rate and any overtime hours. Regular pay, overtime pay and gross pay fill in.
  3. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) calculate from gross pay. Social Security stops once an employee's year-to-date wages pass $184,500 for 2026; clear the cell for that employee when they reach it.
  4. Enter federal and state withholding from your tables or from the generator. Net pay updates.
  5. The totals row gives you the amounts for direct deposits, tax deposits and your accounting entry. Copy the per-employee totals into the YTD summary sheet after each run.

Payroll checks with stubs

If you pay by paper check, the employee still needs a statement of earnings and deductions. The check template puts the check on the top third of the page and the stub below a tear line, which is the layout of pre-printed check stock. Fill in the check from the register row, then copy the same figures into the stub. The stub fields match the pay stub templates and the generator.

Payroll spreadsheet vs payroll software

TaskSpreadsheet templatePayroll software
Gross pay, FICA, net payFormulas includedAutomatic
Federal and state withholdingLook up or use the generatorAutomatic
Tax deposits and quarterly formsYou file themFiled for you
W-2s at year endFrom the YTD sheetGenerated
CostFreeMonthly fee per employee

Outgrowing spreadsheets? Our payroll software comparison covers the options for small teams.

Use only for real payments you made or received. Creating documents with false information may be illegal. Read our acceptable use policy.

Frequently asked questions

What is a payroll template?
A spreadsheet or document laid out for recording each employee's hours, pay rate, gross pay, taxes withheld and net pay for a pay period, with totals for the whole payroll run. Employers use it to prepare checks, direct deposits and tax deposits.
Does the payroll register calculate taxes?
It calculates regular and overtime pay, gross pay, the employee share of Social Security and Medicare, and net pay. Federal and state income tax vary by employee, so those columns are entered from the withholding tables or from the pay stub generator.
Can I use the payroll template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Sheets. The formulas and number formats carry over.
What is a payroll check template?
A printable page with a check at the top and a pay stub below it, separated by a tear line. You fill in the check details and the stub lines, print on check stock or plain paper, and give the stub to the employee.
Are payroll checks with stubs still required?
Most states require employers to give employees a statement of earnings and deductions with each payment, on paper or electronically. The stub attached to the check meets that requirement for paper payroll.
When should I move from a spreadsheet to payroll software?
When you have more than a few employees, pay in more than one state, or find yourself recalculating withholding by hand every pay day. Software files the tax deposits and forms for you.

Related tools and guides

Pay stub templates

Word, Excel and fillable PDF downloads.

Pay stub generator

Automatic taxes, clean PDF.

How to prepare a check stub

Step by step, so the totals reconcile.