Every Paycheck, Fully Explained
Fintra stores a structured calculation trace on each check - the base, rate, rate-year, YTD-before, and cap for every tax - plus a self-check that the paycheck balances to the cent.
What the trace captures
When an employee questions a check or an auditor asks how a number was reached, “the software calculated it” isn’t an answer. Fintra records the working for every paycheck: each tax component’s inputs and result, the earnings and deductions that fed it, and the resulting YTD.
- Per-tax: base amount, rate, rate-year, YTD-before, cap applied
- Gross, FIT-taxable, FICA wages, and state-taxable bases
- Earnings lines and pre/post-tax deduction buckets by kind
- Garnishment orders with requested, cap, and withheld amounts
- Employer contributions (match, employer-paid benefit share)
A balancing invariant
Paycheck invariant
gross = net + taxes + deductions + garnishments
Before any check is saved, the engine asserts this identity and that no component is negative. A check that doesn’t balance is never issued.
Why it matters
Inside Fintra
The trace is the connective tissue behind pay stubs, remittances, W-2 boxes, and the GL export - every downstream number can be walked back to the exact inputs that produced it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see how a specific tax was calculated?
Yes. Each paycheck stores a trace with the base, rate, rate-year, YTD-before amount, and whether a cap applied for every tax component.
How do I know a paycheck is correct?
The engine asserts a balancing invariant - gross equals net plus taxes plus deductions plus garnishments, with no negative components - before the check is saved, and an independent reference cross-checks federal withholding.
Is the trace useful for audits?
Very. It records the exact inputs and results for each check, so any figure can be reconstructed and justified months or years later.
What else does the trace include?
Earnings by code, pre/post-tax deduction buckets by kind, garnishment order details, and employer contributions - a complete picture of the check.
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