Year-to-date pay stubs for every pay date
Make year-to-date pay stubs for several pay dates at once. Each stub gets its own dates, and YTD gross, taxes and net pay add up from one to the next.
What year-to-date means on a pay stub
Year-to-date, shortened to YTD, is a running total. On a pay stub it adds up every payment from the first payday of the calendar year through the pay date printed on that stub. One check tells a reader what you earned in two weeks; the YTD column tells them what you have earned this year, and whether the year so far fits the pay rate on the page.
Most employers count YTD by calendar year, so it starts again with the first check dated in January. A few businesses keep their books on a fiscal year, but the tax lines on a stub follow the calendar year because that is the year the W-2 reports.
The YTD lines on a stub
| YTD line | What it adds up | What a reader checks |
|---|---|---|
| YTD gross | Every dollar earned before anything is taken out | That it is roughly the per-check gross times the number of paydays |
| YTD federal income tax | Federal withholding from each check | That it moves with your W-4 choices, not in jumps |
| YTD Social Security | Social Security withheld so far | That it stops once wages pass the yearly wage base |
| YTD Medicare | Medicare withheld so far, plus any additional Medicare | That it keeps growing all year; it has no cap |
| YTD state tax | State withholding so far | That it is zero where the state taxes no wages |
| YTD net pay | What actually reached the bank this year | That it matches the deposits on your statements |
How to calculate YTD by hand
- List every check this year. Start with the first pay date in January (or your first check from this employer) and stop at the pay date you are checking.
- Add each line separately. Gross with gross, federal tax with federal tax, and so on. Never split one total across lines to make it fit.
- Compare with the stub. Each YTD figure on the latest stub should equal your sum for that line. A gap usually means a missed check or a one-off bonus.
The table further down this page shows the same sum done for you: one biweekly paycheck, repeated across a set, with every YTD line growing from stub to stub.
Worked example: YTD across a set
One biweekly check at $25.00 an hour for 80 hours, filing single, worked in Texas, which taxes no wages, using the 2026 tables. Each row is the YTD column of that stub: the check itself times the number of paydays so far.
| Stub | YTD gross | YTD federal tax | YTD Social Security | YTD Medicare | YTD net pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stub 1 | $2,000.00 | $156.15 | $124.00 | $29.00 | $1,690.85 |
| Stub 2 | $4,000.00 | $312.30 | $248.00 | $58.00 | $3,381.70 |
| Stub 3 | $6,000.00 | $468.45 | $372.00 | $87.00 | $5,072.55 |
| Stub 4 | $8,000.00 | $624.60 | $496.00 | $116.00 | $6,763.40 |
Every check here is the same, so each YTD line grows by the same step. Change the hours on one stub and only that stub's step, and the totals after it, move.
Make a set of year-to-date pay stubs here
- Choose how many stubs. Pick a count up to 12. From three stubs up, each one costs $2.99.
- Enter the pay once. Rate and hours or salary, the pay frequency, the work state and the filing status apply to every stub in the set.
- Set the first pay date. The builder lays out each later pay date and pay period from your frequency, so the dates never overlap.
- Adjust any single stub. Open a stub to change its hours, rate, check number or dates, for example a week with extra overtime.
- Check the running totals. Every stub shows its own YTD column. Read the last one, then download the whole set as PDFs.
Started with this employer partway through the year, or already have earlier checks? Open the optional YTD fields and type the totals from your last real stub, and the set carries on from there.
How many stubs cover a month, or three
Readers usually ask for a stretch of time, such as the last month or the last three months, not a number of stubs. Your pay frequency turns one into the other:
| Pay frequency | Paydays a year | About one month | About three months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | 4 or 5 stubs | 13 stubs |
| Biweekly | 26 | 2 or 3 stubs | 6 or 7 stubs |
| Semi-monthly | 24 | 2 stubs | 6 stubs |
| Monthly | 12 | 1 stub | 3 stubs |
When YTD starts, stops and changes speed
January resets every line
The first check of a new year shows YTD equal to that one check. A January stub with a large YTD figure is one of the first things a careful reader questions.
A mid-year start
YTD counts pay from this employer only. If you began in June, your YTD reflects June onward, not a full year, and a reader who knows your start date expects exactly that.
Social Security stops at the wage base
Social Security is withheld only until YTD wages reach the yearly cap the Social Security Administration sets. After that the per-check line drops to zero while YTD stays flat. Source: SSA, Contribution and Benefit Base.
Additional Medicare kicks in
Once YTD wages pass the IRS withholding threshold, an extra Medicare amount is withheld on top of the usual rate for the rest of the year. Source: IRS Topic no. 560, Additional Medicare tax.
Who reads the YTD column
Mortgage lenders lean on it hardest. Fannie Mae's selling guide asks for a recent paystub, dated no earlier than 30 days before the loan application, that shows year-to-date earnings. Source: Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-3.1-02.
Landlords use YTD to see that income is steady rather than one good month. And at tax time, your last stub of the year is the quickest check on the W-2 you receive: the federal tax, Social Security and Medicare totals should line up.
YTD mistakes to avoid
- A YTD gross that does not fit the number of paydays since January.
- A YTD line that goes down from one stub to the next.
- Social Security still rising after wages pass the wage base.
- Net YTD that is higher than the deposits on your bank statements.
- Pay dates that skip a period or land on the same day twice.
Contractors and YTD
A 1099 contractor has no payroll, so there is no withholding to total. In Contractor / 1099 mode the stubs show earnings only, and the YTD earnings column still gives a landlord or lender a clear view of the year. The self-employed guide covers the tax you set aside yourself.
What's on every stub
- Federal, state and FICA taxes worked out
- Current-year YTD totals
- Regular and overtime pay lines
- Every design at the base price
- Your logo
- Corrections and the PDF download
FAQ
What is YTD on a pay stub?
Year-to-date: the total of each line from the first paycheck of the calendar year through the pay date on that stub.
Does YTD include the current pay period?
Yes. The YTD figure on a stub already counts the check that stub belongs to.
Why is my YTD lower than my yearly salary?
Because the year is not over. YTD counts only the checks paid so far, so in June it is roughly half of a full year's pay.
How many stubs can I make at once?
Up to 12 in one set. Each stub gets its own pay date and period, and the YTD totals run forward.
What does a set of year-to-date pay stubs cost?
$3.49 for one, $6.49 for two, and $2.99 per stub from three up. No subscription.
Can I start the YTD from earlier checks?
Yes. Open the optional YTD fields and enter the totals from your last real stub; the set continues from those numbers.
How many pay stubs make three months?
Thirteen if you are paid weekly, six or seven biweekly, six semi-monthly and three monthly.
Why did Social Security stop on my later stubs?
Wages passed the yearly wage base the Social Security Administration sets, so no more Social Security is withheld that year.