Payroll, Tax & Compensation Guides
Comprehensive, research-backed guides to help workers, contractors, and employers understand compensation, tax withholdings, and employment laws with transparency.
Every guide is researched and maintained by the PullMesh Financial Research Team, grounded in primary statutory sources from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration (SSA), and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). All formulas are audited against current tax year parameters.
Hourly to Salary Conversion
Master the standard 2,080-hour baseline, account for unpaid leave, calculate overtime compounding, and convert non-cash benefits into an equivalent hourly wage.
Paycheck Taxes & Deductions
A step-by-step breakdown of your paycheck: 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, FICA caps, Form W-4 elections, and pre-tax vs. post-tax benefit savings.
FLSA Overtime Pay Rules
Understand statutory time-and-a-half, how bonuses and shift premiums factor into your regular rate of pay, and the legal rules for exempt vs. non-exempt workers.
How Bonuses Are Taxed
Why bonus checks feel taxed so heavily, the difference between IRS 22% flat withholding and the aggregate method, and how year-end reconciliation refunds excess withholding.
1099 Contractor vs. W-2 Employee
Compare the true financial value of self-employment: 15.3% SECA tax, uncompensated hours, healthcare overhead, and the 1.3x to 1.5x breakeven rate multiplier.
Our Editorial & Quality Principles
Our goal is to make personal finance and payroll calculations completely inspectable. Unlike generic ad-stuffed portals, SalarySteps never hides formulas, never sells personal financial information, and processes all calculations locally in your browser. Read our full editorial standards and our calculation methodology.