How to Fill Out an Employee Payroll Register
The U.S. Department of Labor requires employers to maintain employee payroll records. A payroll register is a record-keeping tool that shows employee wages and deductions for the pay period. Payroll software automatically generates the register after you process the payroll. If you outsource your payroll, the payroll service provider sends you the registers or gives you online access to its system so you can print them yourself. If you do not use payroll software or outsource your payroll, you can fill out your own payroll register.
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Instructions
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Create the register via a spreadsheet program or buy a payroll register from an office supply store. The register should include the rows for pay period start date, pay period end date and pay date; and headings for employee name, employee ID/department, regular pay rate, regular hours, regular wages, overtime hours, overtime wages, salary, total gross wages, statutory deductions, voluntary deductions and net pay. Make the deductions columns bigger than the others, since deductions come in various forms.
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Enter pay period dates --- the time frame the employee was paid for. Include the payday, which should match the paycheck date. State the employee name and the department or ID number, if applicable.
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Check the employee's time card, paycheck or pay stub for the relevant wage information. If the employee is hourly, enter regular and overtime rate, hours and total wages. If he is salaried, enter total salary. List total gross wages --- the employee's pay before deductions.
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List the employee's deductions and the related amounts. Abbreviations for statutory deductions include Med for Medicare, SS for Social Security, FIT for federal income tax, SIT for state income tax, CH for child support and GARN for wage garnishments. Abbreviations for voluntary deductions include 401k for retirement benefits, MED-125 for a pretax medical benefit and STD for short-term disability.
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State the employee's net pay. This amount should equal the employee's deductions minus her gross pay.
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Tips & Warnings
As a backup, you should create your own payroll register even if you use payroll software or outsource your payroll.
You can use an online payroll register template, such as Microsoft Office's (see Resource).
Community users submit the templates; therefore, quality and availability may vary.
References
Resources
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