Keeping track of paychecks efficiently

edtulloch

Hello, I'm new here on the blog but have been following MSE updates for years. So forgive me if this isn't in the right place/right format!
I like efficient ways to keep track of finances. My paychecks currently come as individual PDFs filled with all sorts of additions and subtractions. OR I can download a cumulative totals which looks even more confusing (see the list of rows below).

Would anyone be able to advise a simple solution to storing pertinent information so I can check I am being paid correctly and have a good record for pension contributions? Happy to look into a good program or even better a excel template that keeps track of these things well. I like the latter as it likely wouldn't depend on a particular company continuing in business throughout my working life to keep using it - I could switch to another spreadsheet provider if needed.

Thank you.

To explain my confusion, here are the list of rows on the cumulative paycheck sheet:

Pay No

APD/GC/PP

Forename

Surname

Tax Code

NI Number

NI Table

ME flag

XFE flag

Date Appt Gde

Scale/Band

Pt

Annual Salary

Cont Hrs

Cond Hrs

Basic Hr Rate

JKL Band

Date Sup Pay

Sup Code

Sup Grp

Serv Type

Super %

RTI Nom Pay No

Periods cov'd by payment

Freq and Tax Period

PAYMENT DETAILS

Basic Pay

3104 - BAND 1A SUPP 50%

3104 - BAND 1A SUPP 50%

3526 - TRAINEE PRACT ALLOW

3526 - TRAINEE PRACT ALLOW

3562 - ARREARS OF PAY

TOTAL PAY & ALLOWANCES

DEDUCTIONS

Tax

NI EES

Sup Conts EES

2060 - STUDENT LOAN

2378 - VAT CYCLE TO WORK

2385 - BICYCLES FOR WORK

TOTAL DEDUCTIONS

NET PAY

NI EARNINGS

CUMULATIVES - TAX

Taxable Pay

Tax

CUMULATIVES - PENSION

CARE Sup Conts EES

CARE Sup Conts ERS

CARE Sup Pay EES

CARE Sup Pay ERS

CUMULATIVES - HOURS

CUMULATIVES - STATUTORY

CUMULATIVES - OTHER

Stud Loan Repaid

Loan Bal O/S

CUMULATIVES - NI

NI_Pay_A

NI_EES_A

NI_ERS_A

EARN_To_LEL_A

LEL_to_ST_A

ST_to_PT_A

PT_to_UEL_UST_AUST_A

Eco_Miser

A spreadsheet, with a row for each paycheck, and a column for each relevant category on the paycheck, and with extra columns to re-do their calculations to check it all comes to the right total would seem to do what you want.

Creating a Pivot Table (and chart) from the data would let you see totals and trends, or you could just use the SUM() function for grand totals and various data analysis functions for subtotals.

Make sure you have multiple independent secure copies if you are going to rely on it.

kaMelo

Pedantic and adding nothing to the thread but please, were British. It's pay cheque.

blue.peter

kaMelo said:

Pedantic and adding nothing to the thread but please, were British. It's pay cheque.

Even more pedantically, it looks to me as if the OP is talking about their payslip or, as it's described in the Employment Rights Act 1996, "itemised pay statement", not their pay cheque.