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PAYCHECK DECODER · U.S. PAY STUBS

Your paycheck,
in plain English.

Understand what came out, where it went, and how the numbers add up to your take-home pay.

Private by design. Your entries stay in this tab. No account or cloud upload. Files and entries stay on your device.

Start with your pay stub

ON YOUR DEVICE

Choose a photo or PDF to fill in the lines for you. Review what was read before using it, or enter amounts yourself.

JPG, PNG, WebP or PDF · up to 10 MB · PDFs up to 5 pages · English printed text. A sharp, upright photo works best. No files, images or extracted text are sent to a server.

No stub handy? Download a fictional sample PDF or sample photo to try the reader.

Start with one paycheck

Use the current pay period column on a U.S. employee pay stub. Leave out year-to-date totals and personal details.

Decode the lines

Add each employee tax and deduction once. Select what the line represents to see its explanation. For reimbursements and employer-paid items, choose the matching type.

Do not add “Total deductions” if you have entered the individual lines. Amounts must be zero or positive. Use “Cash addition outside gross pay” for a refund that increases this check.

This checks arithmetic using your entries. It does not verify payroll accuracy or calculate how much tax you should owe.

MAKE SENSE OF THE SMALL PRINT

What does that code mean?

Look up common entries even if you do not have your pay stub handy. Employers use different codes, so confirm unfamiliar labels with payroll.

How this works

The decoder subtracts the tax and deduction amounts you enter from cash gross pay, then adds cash payments not already included in gross. It compares that result with the optional net-pay figure. It does not infer taxable wages, apply tax tables, or assess annual withholding. Special cases such as stock compensation, non-cash benefits and payroll reversals may need help from payroll.

Sources & useful next steps · Reviewed October 18, 2026

For education, not individualized tax, legal, or financial advice. Photo/PDF recognition can miss or misread amounts; always review the selected current-period entries. Unusual layouts and handwriting may require manual entry.

Common questions

Does my pay stub leave my device?

No. Photo and PDF reading runs in this browser tab. Your file and extracted amounts are not sent to a server or saved in browser storage.

Can I correct imported amounts?

Yes. Compare the suggested lines with your original pay stub, select current-period amounts and correct any mistakes before importing. Imported entries remain editable.

Does this calculate my tax bill?

No. It explains the amounts you enter and checks whether gross cash pay minus deductions and taxes, plus cash additions, matches your reported net pay. It does not estimate annual tax liability.