If you are looking to automate payroll deductions, Finch can help. Talk to sales.?
Payroll deductions refer to the money withheld from an employee's paycheck each pay period to cover taxes, benefit premiums, and other financial obligations. Whether you're a business establishing your payroll, a SaaS tool offering employee benefits, or an employee seeking clarity on paycheck adjustments, it's crucial to grasp the different types of payroll deductions and how they differ.
This article explores common payroll deductions, their legal requirements and addresses some frequently asked questions. Plus, for those involved in employee benefits, retirement, health insurance, and more, we have a bonus section that explains how to seamlessly adjust deductions within the employer's payroll system.
Now, let’s decode different types of payroll deductions one by one.?
What are payroll deductions??
Payroll deductions involve subtracting money from an employee's total wages each pay cycle to cover both mandatory and voluntary employment expenses, including taxes, benefits, and garnishments.?
Each deduction has distinct calculations, regulatory requirements, and is applicable in different scenarios.
The deduction amount depends on multiple factors like federal or state tax laws, withholding information supplied by the employee in their Form W4: Employee’s Withholding Certificate, and the benefits programs the employee is subscribed to. The calculation process can be manual or automated.
Some types of benefits deductions are taken out of a paycheck based on the written approval of the employee. However, statutory deductions and garnishments are withheld by the employer as mandated by law.
Types of payroll deductions
Here are the common payroll deductions to keep in mind if you are working for an employee benefits or payroll company that does business in the United States.?
Mandatory deductions?
Mandatory deductions are commonly called withholdings. Some examples of statutory payroll deductions include state and federal taxes, wage garnishments, and FICA.?
- Income taxes: Employers must withhold federal and state income taxes each pay period. Federal taxes have seven brackets (ranging from 10% to 37%), applied incrementally. Taxable income depends on the employee's filing status (single, married, head of household) and claimed allowances in Form W4. ?Based on which state the employer operates in, the state income tax rate changes as well. Some states follow federal tax brackets, while others have different local tax protocols. Some states charge progressively, while some charge none. Employers must follow local payroll laws to avoid penalties. Calculating taxes is a complex process and if you are doing it manually, it can be a nightmare.
- FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act): FICA includes Social Security and Medicare, with a standard rate of 7.65% per paycheck (6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare). Social Security has an income-based upper limit, and employers are mandated to match this contribution.?Medicare tax, on the other hand, pays for doctor’s fees, hospital care, and nursing care for 65 years or older as well as for those who receive social security benefits. Employees earning over $200,000 annually must pay an additional Medicare tax.
- Garnishments: Employees may owe a portion of post-tax wages to cover unpaid dues in areas like child support, alimony, defaulted loans, or tax obligations. Employers can be legally ordered to withhold these amounts by courts, government agencies, or the IRS. Failure to accurately handle these payroll deductions can hold employers financially responsible.
Voluntary deductions
Employees can choose from various employer-offered benefits programs and agree to deductions from their paychecks on either a pre-tax or post-tax basis. These programs encompass 401(k) and retirement plans, health insurance, health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA), life and disability insurance, commuter benefits, wellness programs, college savings plans, and other common voluntary payroll deductions.?
Note: Employers need written authorization from the employee for the following deductions:
- Health insurance: Employees with employer-sponsored health, dental, or vision plans have premiums deducted on a pre-tax basis from each payroll, typically with employers sharing the cost.
- 401(k) & retirement benefits: The two most common employer-sponsored retirement benefits plans are 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions. 401(k) is deducted from payroll on a pre-tax basis but subject to FICA taxes. While Roth IRA contributions are deducted on a post-tax basis. As the complexity of the retirement benefits industry increases, more employers and plan providers are relying on 401(k) payroll integrations. This helps them automate payroll deductions, save time, and significantly reduce compliance risks.?
- HSA and FSA contributions: Health Savings Accounts HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) are both employee health benefits that are typically deducted from payroll on a pre-tax basis. Employees can opt to deduct a certain amount of their paychecks each payroll towards paying HSA to cover specific medical expenses like copay, prescriptions, dental or eye care.?HSAs are called “triple advantaged” benefit plans, because 1) the money that employees contribute is tax-exempt, 2) the money isn’t taxed while it’s in the Health Savings Account, and 3) it is also tax-free when employees use the money for qualified medical expenses. This triple advantage makes HSAs one of the most popular payroll deduction types by employers. Unlike HSAs, FSAs cannot be transferred, and have a lower contribution limit.
- Commuter benefits: Employees can use tax-free funds from their paychecks for commuting expenses, including mass transport, ride shares, and qualified parking.
- Wellness programs: Employers may offer health promotion and disease prevention plans, like diabetes management, vaccination, weight loss plans, etc. Sometimes wellness programs include employee’s spouses as well. Wellness program-related payroll deductions can be calculated pre-tax if the employee does not have any unreimbursed medical payments related to the payment.?
- College savings plans: Employees can allocate a percentage of their paycheck to state-sponsored 529 plans (known as college savings plans or qualified tuition plans) for a beneficiary's education, which may be state tax deductible. Note: they are not federal tax deductible.
- Life and disability insurance: This includes employee contribution towards group life insurance plans and short or long term disability insurance premiums.
- Others: Voluntary payroll deductions also include U.S.Savings Bond purchases or any money owed to the company for tools, uniforms, loans, etc.?
??Read our full guide on payroll deduction types to learn more about:
? Pre-tax and post-tax deductions
? How payroll deductions work?
? FAQs about common payroll deductions
