A payroll deduction is when a company deducts some money from the employee’s pay for many reasons. Most frequently, the reason is for benefits and is referred to as a payroll deduction plan. Plans for payroll deductions may be optional or mandatory, and if the employee gave written consent, the company might deduct it from a paycheck either pre- or post-tax.
Payroll deductions must be correct to maintain satisfied workers and prevent expensive fines brought on by payroll mistakes. This article will explain the types of payroll deductions, how they work, and how to calculate them.
Table of Contents
Types of Payroll Deductions
As an HR, you need to make multiple sorts of deductions on behalf of your employees. You must understand how these deductions function to avoid errors and pay your employees the correct amount. You must also accurately list all of these deductions and clarify any calculations on the documentation you provide them. You can use an online pay stub generator to achieve this consistently. Using the same format, as well as including precise deduction data, will help to avoid any oversights or issues.
The following are categories of deductions:
Pre-tax deductions
Before taxes are withheld, pre-tax deductions are made from an employee’s paycheck. The amount withdrawn for these deductions lowers a staff’s taxable income and the amount they owe the government. Usually, workers collect pre-tax deductions for health insurance, retirement plans, group term life insurance, and others.
Although it’s not mandatory, participating is frequently in the employees’ best interests. Compared to what they would have to pay for benefits and other services post-tax, pre-tax donations can result in significant financial savings. However, there are limits to the savings. The maximum pre-tax contribution that employees are permitted to make is often capped.
Income taxes
Income tax is the tax the government charge on revenue companies, and people under their jurisdiction produces. The law requires taxpayers to file an income tax return annually to establish their tax liabilities. That is why companies must deduct tax from their employee’s wages based on their taxable income and the number of deductions they made on their tax returns. The governments use this funding to pay government obligations, fund public services, and supply goods to the public.
Statutory deductions
Governmental organizations require to impose deductions on paying for public services and programs. This deduction a statutory deduction. The deduction is mandatory because, besides their taxes, employees must also pay for their health insurance program, Social Security, and other state or federal programs. Although they are not a part of the tax, employees have to pay them to fund future services and retirement programs.
Post-tax deductions
After the company deducts all taxes and mandatory deductions, the company will remove the post-tax deductions. Post-tax deductions don’t lessen the individual’s overall tax burden because they cut net compensation rather than gross earnings. Some examples of this tax are court-ordered child support, disability insurance, charitable contributions, and wage garnishments. Employees can decline all post-tax deductions, except for wage garnishments.
Voluntary deductions
Employees may request that you make additional contributions to their taxes, retirement programs, and other programs as part of the company’s benefits package. While some of these donations are processed before taxes, others are not. Having a clear understanding of each deduction’s purpose helps to maintain payroll accuracy.
How Payroll Deductions Work
Employees can automatically contribute to recurring expenses or investments through payroll deduction plans. For instance, it is customary for employees to deduct a certain percentage of their pay and put it into their Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or Roth IRA. Additionally, an employee can have the insurance payments withdrawn from their salary, guaranteeing they are always paid on time.
Some payroll deduction schemes allow regular, voluntary payroll deductions to buy a common stick. If that sounds like what your company needs, payroll software must be the right investment. For that kind of circumstance, the employee can participate in the company’s stock purchase plan to use a portion of each paycheck to acquire shares of the stock, typically at a reduced rate.
Also read: 7 Best Payroll Software for Singaporean & Indonesian Companies
How to Calculate Payroll Deductions
Companies can make payroll deductions either pre-tax or post-tax. To calculate an employee’s payroll deduction, you must first deduct their pre-tax deductions from their gross income. The pre-tax deduction includes insurance or a retirement contribution. Employee’s taxable income is the difference, representing the taxable income for the employee.
Then, the employee’s taxable income determines the employee’s tax withholding. This covers federal, state, and municipal taxes and Social Security and Medicare withholdings. For the last step, subtract the employee’s post-tax deductions, including any wage garnishments, employee expenditures, or union dues. Roth IRA contributions are also made with after-tax dollars. The employee’s net income is what remains after all these deductions, and their last paycheck should show that.
Conclusion
Payroll deduction programs fund employees by deducting payments from their paychecks. Although computations for these deductions can be complicated, they streamline the process and ensure that insurance, healthcare, and retirement payments are on time. Numerous organizations utilize a human resource system to manage payroll.
HashMicro can provide your company with Human Resource Management Software to help with payroll deduction. Our HRM Software can also automate some HR functions and ensure they work correctly. With this software, HR will be able to work on more important matters, increasing company efficiency. Download HashMicro’s HRM Software pricing scheme, or start the free demo now.
