Employee Payroll Deductions - BC Bookkeeping Tutorials|dwmbeancounter.com

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Employee Payroll Deductions

Calculating Payroll


Payroll Deductions
What the Employer "Giveth", The Government Taketh Away !
Finally, we're now done calculating our employee's gross pay (earnings), but we still have to calculate the deductions taken out from their pay. I guess there really is "no rest for the weary."


Payroll Worksheet
For Calculating Employee Income Tax Withholding Amounts
EmployeePay PeriodEmployee StatusNumber
Jobs
W-4
Box 2 (c)
Checked
Number
Dep
Amount
Gross PayPre Tax
Ded
Adjusted
Gross
Inc Tax
Withheld
Fat ChefB-WklyMarried2Yes
1
2,000
1,567.32100.001467.3234.00
Notbad CookBi-WklyMarried1
1
2,000
1111.15100.001011.150
Goodwith CashWeeklySingle1344.0050.00294.006.00
Wet HandsWeeklySingle1311.7650.00261.762.00
Good WaitressWeeklyMarried2Yes630.0050.00580.0037.00
Handsome WaiterWeeklySingle1398.8050.00348.8016.00
Know ItallMonthlyMarried2Yes
1
2,000
3500.00217.003,283.0087.00
Betty BakerWeeklySingle1344.4050.00294.400
Line ManWeeklySingle1300.0050.00250.000
Talk AlotWeeklySingle1290.0050.00240.000
We used the Income Tax Withholding Assistant Excel Spreadsheet to calculate the amount of federal income tax to withhold from Ma's employee's wages (see below).

Other methods available include the Percentage Method Of Withhoding and the Wage Bracket Tax Table Method. These tables and the employer instructions on how to figure employee withholding are now included in Pub. 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods.  If you use the wage bracket method, you must find the range the employee’s wages fall under. Then, using the information they entered on Form W-4, find the amount to withhold. The percentage method is a little different. Like the wage bracket method, there is a range that an employee’s wages can fall under. But unlike the wage bracket method, there is both a flat dollar amount as well as a percentage calculation to add together.

How to Use the Tax Withholding Assistant
Open the Tax Withholding Assistant and follow these steps to calculate your employees’ tax withholding for 2020. Be sure that your employee has given you a completed Form W-4. The Assistant can accommodate both the 2020 Form W-4 and Forms W-4 from prior years.

You will want to save a separate copy of the spreadsheet for each employee.
  • Indicate how frequently you pay your employee.
  • Specify which version of Form W-4 applies to the employee.
  • Enter the requested information from your employee’s Form W-4.
  • Save a copy of the spreadsheet with the employee’s name in the file name.
  • Each pay period, open each employee’s Tax Withholding Assistant spreadsheet and enter the wage or salary amount for that period. The spreadsheet will then display the correct amount of federal income tax to withhold.
Payroll Worksheet
For Calculating Employee Social Security, Medicare Deductions, and State Tax Deductions
EmployeeTotal GrossMedical
Pre-Tax
Ded
Adjusted
Gross
Soc Sec
Rate
6.2%
Social SecurityMedicare
Rate
1.45%
Medicare
State Tax
10%
Fat Chef1567.321001467.321467.32 x .06290.971467.32 x .014521.28157
Notbad Cook1111.151001011.151011.15 x .06262.69
1011.15 x .0145
14.66111
Goodwith Cash344.0050294.00294 x .06218.22
294 x .0145
4.2634
Wet Hands311.7650261.76261.76 x .06216.23
261.76 x .0145
3.832
Good Waitress630.0050580.00580.00 x .06235.96
580.00 x .0145
8.4163
Handsome Waiter398.8050348.80348.8 x .06221.63
348.8 x .0145
5.0640
Know Itall3,500.002173283.003283 x .062203.55
3283 x .0145
47.60350
Betty Baker344.4050294.40294.40 x .06218.25
294.40 x .0145
4.2734
Line Man300.0050250.00250 x .06215.50
250 x .0145
3.6330
Talk Alot290.0050240.00240.00 x .06214.88
240.00 x .0145
3.4829
These Payroll Taxes are calculated by multiplying the tax rate times the adjusted employee earnings.

Did you notice we reduced the amount subject to the tax for the Pre-Tax Medical Deduction ?

Why did we deduct medical insurance from the earnings before we calculated the income tax, social security, and medicare deductions ? If you recall, one of our assumptions about Ma's restaurant was that Ma pays 50% of a family's premium for health insurance and her medical plan qualifies with the IRS for tax-exempt treatment. This deduction for the employee's share of the medical insurance premium thus qualifies for special tax treatment.

This special type of deduction is called a pre tax deduction. Pre tax deductions (benefits) are those benefits deducted from an employee's wages (gross pay) before taxes come out. The medical insurance deduction in our example is made on a pre tax basis, thereby reducing the our calculated amounts deducted for social security, medicare, and federal and state income taxes.

What's so special ?
By deducting these special types of deductions before we calculate the payroll taxes and income tax withholdings, the employee has more take home pay ( a bigger net pay check). The employer also saves on their social security and medicare matching contributions. This also provides a savings to employers for unemployment taxes.

Some examples of pre tax benefits that are offered by employers are:
  • health and dental insurance premiums
  • employee retirement plans such as 401k contributions
  • group term life insurance
  • dependent care programs
  • medical reimbursement accounts
  • disability benefits
Payroll Worksheet
For Summarizing Employee Gross Pay and Deductions
Bringing It All Together
EmployeeTotal GrossSocial SecurityMedicareInc
Tax
With
State Tax
Medical Pre-TaxSavings
Bonds
Tip
Credit
Uniform
Fat Chef1567.3290.9721.28341571002525
Notbad Cook1111.1562.6914.66
11110020
Goodwith Cash344.0018.224.2663450
Wet Hands311.7616.233.823250
Good Waitress630.0035.968.41376350250
Handsome Waiter398.3021.635.0616405050
Know Itall3,500.00203.5547.6087350217
Betty Baker344.4018.254.273450
Line Man300.0015.503.633050
Talk Alot290.0014.883.482950
If you recall, we discussed the Types Of Deductions in an earlier lesson. We classified deductions into three categories:
  • Deductions Required by Law
  • Deductions for the Employer's Convenience
  • Deductions for the Employee's Convenience
Let's classify our deductions in our table above into our three categories.

Required By Law
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Federal Income Tax
  • State Income Tax

Employer's Convenience
  • Uniforms
  • Tip Wages

Employee's Convenience
  • Medical Insurance
  • Savings
  • U. S. Bonds


What's Next ?

Payroll Records


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