Unit 5 • Lesson 60.8h
Pay Stub Studio: Taxes, Net Pay, and Proof
Students combine Lesson04–05 automation with tax logic to produce compliant, professional pay stubs that employees and auditors trust.
What You'll Learn
- ▶Convert payroll inputs (name, filing status, standard deduction, gross pay) into taxable income
- ▶Calculate FIT, Social Security, Medicare, and state income tax per employee
- ▶Design a printable pay stub that updates by Employee ID selector
- ▶Explain how accurate pay stubs protect trust with employees, regulators, and investors
Key Concepts
Taxable income = Gross pay – pre‑tax deductions
IRS FIT tables + standard deduction usage
FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to wage base, 1.45% Medicare all wages
+2 more concepts
Lesson Phases
This lesson follows a structured 6-phase learning model designed for authentic project-based learning.
Hook
Live demo: employee pay stub misprint vs. corrected version
Introduction
Data flow from payroll inputs → taxable income → tax components → printable stub
Guided Practice
Model FIT/FICA/state tax formulas and connect them to a pay stub template
Independent Practice
Complete the pay stub workbook using the lesson dataset and design polish requirements
Assessment
Mastery check: taxable income formula, FIT lookup, FICA math, and pay stub selector
Closing
Synthesis and reflection: communicating pay stub accuracy and readiness
How You'll Learn
Textbook-first explanation with interactive walkthrough of tax math and pay stub design