Understanding Your Pay: Payroll Taxes and Employment Law Can Cost You Money. Learn What You Need to Know! 2015 Edition

This book is written as an introductory guide for someone who just got their first job (Congratulations!), a foreign visitor authorized to work in the United States - including permanent immigrant workers, temporary (non-immigrant) workers, and student and exchange workers - a U.S. citizen working in another country, or someone returning to the workforce. It is designed to familiarize you with how the system works.

By system we mean the U.S. federal tax system, and related government organizations on federal, state and local levels. On a federal level, it includes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration (SSA), Department of Labor (DOL), Citizenship and Immigration Services, and others.

We've incorporated symbols throughout the book that point out special hints, tips and warnings as you read through the pages.

As an employee, you receive legal protection from the federal government (the United States) and individual states and localities. There are also U.S. and state-based tax requirements that your employer must satisfy by taking deductions from your pay. The federal government and 41 of the 50 states require income tax withholding

That's not all. You may be participating in a health plan, retirement plan, or other benefit plan that you pay into through payroll deductions. Or you may have other legal obligations for which your employer is required to deduct. This guide will help you understand how they work, and provide the background to ask more questions for those areas that remain unclear.

There are all sorts of ways to receive your pay, from cash to check, to direct deposit and paycard. The book discusses each one and provides the pros and cons to consider. Please consult the Table of Contents for a full overview, and see our comprehensive index for additional information.