How to verify a pay stub from Washington
Washington has no state income tax on wages. Here's what that means for a pay stub.Washington has no state income tax on wages. That makes one line on a pay stub especially easy to check.
Look for state income tax
Washington doesn't tax wages. If the applicant lives and works in Washington, the stub should show federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, but no state income tax withholding.
A state tax line can still be legitimate: someone who lives in Washington but works in another state usually pays that state's tax, and a recent move can leave the old state on the stub for a while. A stub generated from another state's template can show it too. Ask which state the applicant works in.
Washington stubs often show Paid Family and Medical Leave (“WA PFML”) and the WA Cares Fund long-term care premium (0.58% of wages unless the employee has an approved exemption). Both are normal and neither is an income tax.
Check the math
Gross pay minus all deductions should equal net pay. The year-to-date column can never be lower than the current period, and it should be close to the current pay times the number of paychecks so far this year.
Check Social Security and Medicare
Federal payroll taxes are the same in Washington as everywhere else: Social Security is 6.2% and Medicare is 1.45% of wages after pre-tax health, dental and vision deductions.
Verify with the employer
Find the employer's main number on their official website, not on the stub, and ask HR to confirm employment and the net pay for a specific pay date. Apply the same steps to every applicant who reaches this stage.