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Grok+17 agentsPay Stub Decoder: Why Is My Paycheck Smaller?
Decode every line on a pay stub, show the gross-to-net waterfall, and catch payroll errors worth fixing.
$5
Pay Stub Decoder: Why Is My Paycheck Smaller?
Example session with this skill installed
Semi-monthly stub, Texas. Gross $4,583.33 (salary $110k). Deductions: Fed W/H $612.40, Soc Sec $284.17, Medicare $66.46, 401k pre-tax $183.33, Medical $210.00, Dental $18.50, 'ADM FEE' $12.00, Net $3,196.47. I elected 6% to 401k and the employee-only medical plan was quoted at $95/paycheck. Why is it smaller than I expected?
- Read your context and instructions
- Compiled the pay stub decoder
Pay Stub Decode: semi-monthly, Texas
The waterfall: Gross $4,583.33 → taxes −$963.03 (21.0%) → pre-tax −$411.83 → post-tax −$12.00 →
Net $3,196.47 (69.7% of gross)
Line decode
| Line/code | Plain English | Amount | /year | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fed W/H | Federal income tax withheld per your W-4 | $612.40 | $14,698 | Plausible for $110k single/no adjustments; verify W-4 |
| Soc Sec | Social Security (6.2% of taxable wages) | $284.17 | $6,820 | ✔ matches 6.2% of gross |
| Medicare | Medicare (1.45%) | $66.46 | $1,595 | ✔ matches 1.45% |
| 401k pre-tax | Retirement contribution | $183.33 | $4,400 | ⚠ 4.0% of gross, you elected 6% ($275.00) |
| Medical | Employee medical premium, pre-tax | $210.00 | $5,040 | ⚠ quoted $95; this matches a higher tier |
| Dental | Dental premium, pre-tax | $18.50 | $444 | ✔ typical employee-only |
| ADM FEE | Administrative fee, post-tax | $12.00 | $288 | ⚠ unexplained; ask what it is |
| No state tax | Texas has no state income tax | — | — | ✔ correct |
⚠ Findings
1.
401k at 4%, not 6% — expected $275.00, actual $183.33; annualised gap $2,200 in contributions (and any match on that 2%). Likely cause: election entered as 4% or a default rate applied before your election processed.
2.
Medical $210 vs. $95 quoted — annualised gap $2,760. Likely cause: enrolled in employee + spouse or a higher-tier plan by default.
3.
ADM FEE $12 — $288/yr, no description. Likely cause: benefits administration fee or a plan-loan fee; needs a name.
For payroll:
Hi, three items on my [date] stub: (1) my 401k deduction is $183.33 (4%) but I elected 6% on [date]; please correct and confirm whether a catch-up for the missed amount is possible. (2) Medical is $210.00 but my enrollment was employee-only, quoted at $95/paycheck; please confirm the plan and tier on file. (3) There's a $12.00 "ADM FEE" I don't recognise; what is it and is it expected to recur? Thanks.
Looks right: Social Security and Medicare match statutory rates exactly; dental is a typical employee-only premium; no state tax is correct for Texas; federal withholding is in the plausible range for your salary pending your W-4 settings.
This is a plain-language reading, not tax or legal advice — payroll rules vary by jurisdiction; confirm anything load-bearing with payroll or a tax professional.
Connects securely to your tools. The creator never sees your data.
What you get
About this skill
The problem
Pay stubs use codes nobody explains. People notice the net is smaller than expected and can't tell whether it's tax, a benefit election, a withholding mistake, or an actual payroll error, so they never ask.
What it does
- Decodes every earning, tax, and deduction line into plain English with the annualised amount.
- Shows the gross-to-net waterfall: taxes, pre-tax, post-tax, net, with percentages.
- Runs an error checklist against your stated salary, hours, and elections.
- Writes the message to payroll naming specific lines and specific asks.
- Confirms which lines look right, so you know what not to worry about.
Why this beats prompting it yourself
A general prompt explains what FICA is. This skill reconciles your stub against your expectations line by line, annualises every gap, and produces a payroll ticket that names line items, which is what payroll can actually act on.
Use cases
- First paycheck at a new job is lower than the offer implied.
- Checking whether a 401k election or insurance tier was applied.
- Verifying overtime and shift differentials landed.
- Understanding withholding after a W-4 change.
Known limitations
Not tax or legal advice. Tax lines and mandatory deductions vary by country and state; the skill asks for jurisdiction and never guesses. Redact identifiers freely; the codes and amounts are what matter.
How to install
Works the same in every agent - Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot and 20+ more.
- 1
Download the ZIP
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- 2
Unzip into your skills folder
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- 3
Ask your agent to use it
Restart the agent if it was already running. It picks the skill up automatically - no config needed.
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Click the path to copy it. Create the folder if it does not exist yet.
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