This article is currently being updated and some advice might be out of date. Contact advice@luu.leeds.ac.uk if you have any questions.
I don’t understand my payslip
As an employee, you have a legal right to a payslip. Make sure you get it either before the date you are paid, or before - if you don’t receive it, you should get in touch with your employer’s payroll department.
A payslip must, by law, contain the following details:
- Your ‘gross’ pay, which is the amount before tax is removed.
- Your ‘net’ pay, which is the amount after tax is removed.
- Any deductions, and why they have been deducted. This might include income tax, trade union subscriptions, or payments to charity.
- The overall amount of money payable to you after the above.
- How the money will be paid for you; for instance by cash, cheque or into your bank account. If it’s going straight into your account, it will be shown as a BACS (bank transfer) payment on the slip.
Your employer might issue your payslip electronically instead of giving you a paper payslip. Please check with your employer whether they will issue your payslip online or as a paper copy.