How to Create a Professional Paystub (With Optional Logo)

1. What is a Paystub?

A paystub (also called a pay slip, paycheck stub, or earnings statement) is a document that accompanies an employee's paycheck. It provides a detailed breakdown of earnings, deductions, and taxes for a specific pay period.

While federal law doesn't require employers to provide paystubs, most states have their own requirements. Professional paystubs help with:

• Proof of income for loan applications
• Documentation for rental applications
• Tax filing and record keeping
• Resolving payroll disputes

2. Required Information on a Paystub

A professional paystub should include the following essential information:

Employee Information

• Full legal name
• Address
• Social Security Number (last 4 digits)
• Employee ID (optional)

Employer Information

• Company name
• Business address
• EIN (Employer Identification Number)

Earnings

• Gross pay (before deductions)
• Hourly rate or salary
• Hours worked (regular and overtime)
• Pay period dates

Deductions

• Federal income tax
• State income tax
• Social Security (FICA)
• Medicare
• Health insurance premiums
• 401(k) contributions

3. Understanding Tax Calculations

Accurate tax calculations are crucial for paystub creation. Here's a breakdown of common taxes:

Pro tip: Our paystub generator automatically calculates all federal and state taxes based on the employee's location and filing status. No manual calculations needed.

4. State-by-State Requirements

Paystub requirements vary significantly by state. Here's a quick overview:

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ✗
  Incorrect tax calculations

  Always use current tax rates and proper withholding formulas.

• ✗
  Missing pay period dates

  Every paystub must clearly show the pay period start and end dates.

• ✗
  No year-to-date totals

  YTD figures help employees track their annual earnings and tax withholdings.

6. Add an Optional Company Logo

Many people search for a pay stub generator with logo so earnings statements match company branding. On the iRunDocs pay stub generator, open the company information section and upload a PNG or JPG logo. We resize it for the PDF and place it next to your company name on major templates.

• Prefer a clear logo; transparent PNG or simple JPG works best.
• Files up to about 1.5 MB are accepted and compressed for the document.
• Logo is completely optional — skip it for a clean text-only header.
• Branding never replaces accurate hours, rates, taxes, and deductions.

Always preview the PDF before download so logo placement looks correct on your chosen template. See also pay stub samples.

7. How to Create Your Paystub

Creating a professional paystub is easy with iRunDocs. Our generator automatically handles all tax calculations and formatting.