Last updated: August 25, 2026 This article provides general educational information, not individualized tax, legal, payroll, or employment advice. Pay-stub labels, deductions, wage-statement requirements, and correction procedures depend on the employer, benefit plan, tax rules, and jurisdiction. A pay stub is the calculation behind your deposit. It shows which work the employer included, how that work became earnings, what was taken out, and how the final payment was reached. That makes it more useful than a receipt. A deposit can arrive on time and still be wrong because hours, a pay rate, overtime, a bonus, or a deduction was entered incorrectly. The best way to read a pay stub is therefore to follow the calculation in order instead of jumping straight to net pay. The First Two Dates Answer Different Questions The pay period is the span of work included in the payment. The pay date is the day the employer issues the money. A pay period...