Payslip Check Worksheet

Who this is for

Check a payslip line by line. You work out what each pay line and deduction should be from your own hours and rates, put it beside what the payslip says, and the sheet shows the difference on every line and overall.

Employees paid by the hour, with overtime, shifts, bonuses or expenses, and anyone whose pay has changed and who wants to be sure the payslip has caught up.

What this helps you track

• Expected pay for basic hours, overtime, bonus and expenses
• Expected deductions beside the ones on the payslip
• The difference on every line, so a query can be specific
• Expected gross and net pay against what was actually paid
• Queries raised and what came of them

How to use it

1. Enter the pay period, your employer, your hourly rate or salary and your contracted hours from your contract.
2. In the pay table, enter hours and rate for time-based lines, or an amount in the other column for bonus and expenses.
3. Enter each deduction you can work out, using the rates and codes on your own records, in the expected column.
4. Copy the payslip figures into the on payslip columns; differences and totals are worked out in the browser and workbook.
5. Write any query in the notes with the date raised, and record the answer when it comes back.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How do I work out the expected deductions?

From your own information: the tax code or reference on your record, your pension contribution rate, and any loan or union payments you agreed. The sheet does not supply rates; if you cannot work a line out, leave expected blank and note it.

What does a negative difference mean?

The payslip shows less than you expected on that line. On a pay line that could mean underpayment; on a deduction line it means less was taken than you worked out. Either is worth checking with payroll.

What if I am on a salary rather than an hourly rate?

Enter the salary in the header and the period's share of it as the basic pay amount in the other column, worked out the way your contract describes.

Should I keep the worksheets?

Keeping them with your payslips gives you a record of what you checked and what was queried, which helps if the same problem comes back later.