How to check your payslip is right
Payslips can be wrong. Check the hours, the rate and the deductions, and know who to ask when a figure looks off.
This path is practice in how the records and the sums work. It is not tax advice. Any rate or allowance in a question is an example for that question, so check GOV.UK for the current figures.
In this room: 3 tasks, 9 questions
- Check the pay2 questions
- Check the deductions4 questions
- If something looks wrong3 questions
Start with gross pay. If you are paid by the hour, gross pay is the hours you worked times your hourly rate.
Tom Reeve works at Greenlatch Garden Centre for £14 an hour. His own record says he worked 160 hours in May.
| Item | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | 150 hours at 14.00 | 2,100.00 |
| Income tax | Tax code 1200L | (220.00) |
| National Insurance | (100.00) | |
| Net pay | 1,780.00 |
Answer the questions below
1 more question follows in this task.
Next, check each deduction against the gross pay on the payslip.
Tom's tax code is 1200L. In this room that makes £1,000 of his month's pay tax-free, and income tax is 20% of the rest.
National Insurance here is 10% of pay above £1,100 a month.
Answer the questions below
3 more questions follow in this task.
- Your name and National Insurance number are right
- The hours and the rate match your own record
- The tax code matches the latest letter from HMRC
- Net pay matches the money that reached your bank
Ask your employer about pay, hours and deductions. Ask HMRC about your tax code.
Keep your payslips. They are proof of what you earned.
Answer the questions below
2 more questions follow in this task.