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The Daily Insight

Why does my paystub say excluded from federal taxable wages mean and they are still taking taxes out?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Feb 12, 2026

If your employer shows you as exempt from federal taxes, it means that he is not withholding tax from your paycheck. If you think your employer should be collecting taxes on your earnings, you must talk to your company’s payroll department and possibly fill out another Form W-4 to show your new withholding allowances.

What is Oasdi on my paystub?

FICA taxes and benefits consist of two parts: Social Security or Old Age Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), and Hospital Insurance for senior citizens and the disabled also known as Medicare (Med). The amounts deducted are set Annually by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

What are pay stub exemptions?

A withholding allowance is an exemption that reduces how much income tax an employer deducts from an employee’s paycheck. The more tax allowances you claim, the less income tax will be withheld from a paycheck, and vice versa.

Are there pay stubs required by the state?

The answer to Are pay stubs required by law? is a little more complicated at the state level. Some states require employers to provide pay stubs and some don’t. If you must distribute them, familiarize yourself with pay stub requirements by state. Here’s a breakdown of pay stub requirements by state. Some states:

Do you take home your gross pay on a pay stub?

Employees do not take home their gross pay amount. Payroll taxes and other deductions (we’ll get to those later) reduce the employee’s earnings. The pay stub itemizes taxes so that employees can see all the tax amounts withheld from their gross pay. Standard employee payroll taxes on a pay stub include:

What is included in a payroll pay stub?

This can include overtime, sick pay, holiday pay, bonuses, personal time, and payroll advances. On the payroll pay stub, list each form of income on a separate line. Gross pay is recorded in two columns: current and year-to-date payroll. Employees do not take home their gross pay. Payroll taxes and other deductions reduce their earnings.

Can you give an employee an electronic pay stub?

You can give your employees an electronic (e-paystub) or paper pay stub. If you use payroll software, you may be able to give employees access to their pay stubs online through a portal. Keep a copy of each payroll stub for your employee payroll records. For more information about pay stub requirements by state, consult your state.