Eight paystub mistakes that get an application rejected

5 min read

Verifiers do not read stubs closely so much as check them quickly. These are the eight things that fail that check.

1 · The arithmetic does not close

Gross minus total deductions must equal net, to the cent. It is the first thing anyone tests and the most common failure on a hand-typed stub.

2 · Pay dates that do not fit the frequency

A bi-weekly stub dated the 1st and the 15th is semi-monthly, not bi-weekly. Consecutive bi-weekly pay dates are exactly 14 days apart, and the period end normally precedes the pay date by a few days.

3 · Year-to-date figures that do not progress

Across two consecutive stubs, each YTD figure should grow by exactly that period's amount. Flat or jumping YTD columns are an immediate flag.

4 · FICA at the wrong rate

Social Security is 6.2% and Medicare is 1.45% of taxable wages — not 7.65% on one line unless the stub says "FICA" and combines them deliberately. Round numbers where percentages belong look wrong at a glance.

5 · State tax in a state that has none

A Washington or Texas address with a state income tax line is a contradiction. Equally, a California address with no state line raises a question.

6 · A full Social Security number

Real employers print the last four digits. A full SSN on a stub looks amateurish and, in several states, is not allowed.

7 · An employer that cannot be found

Verifiers call. A company name with no phone number, no verifiable address or a mismatch against the state business registry ends the conversation.

8 · Deposits that do not match

Net pay on the stub should equal the deposits on the bank statement, on the dates the stub says. This is the check that catches almost everything else.

The pattern behind all eight is the same: a stub is a set of interlocking figures, and the interlock is what is being verified. Generate it from the real numbers and the checks pass by themselves.