Final Paycheck Calculator
Add up everything you're owed on your last day: unpaid hours, overtime, unused PTO, and severance. This final paycheck calculator gives you the gross total to verify against what HR actually sends — plus the deadlines employers must meet.
Quick answer: Final paycheck = unpaid regular hours × rate + overtime × 1.5 rate + PTO payout (where owed) + severance/bonus − deductions. At $25/hour with 32 unpaid hours, 4 OT hours, and 40 PTO hours: $800 + $150 + $1,000 = $1,950 gross.
What Belongs in a Final Paycheck
Final Pay = (Regular Hours × Rate) + (OT Hours × Rate × 1.5) + (PTO Hours × Rate) + Severance/Bonus − Lawful Deductions
Everything you earned is owed unconditionally — hours worked, overtime, and earned commissions don't depend on signing anything or returning equipment. The variable items are PTO payout (state-dependent — see below) and severance (policy or negotiation). Deductions must be lawful: taxes yes; "you didn't return the laptop" generally no, absent written authorization, and never below minimum wage.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — standard exit. Leah, $25/hour: 32 unpaid regular hours ($800) + 4 OT hours at $37.50 ($150) + 40 PTO hours in a payout state ($1,000) = $1,950 gross.
Example 2 — salaried with severance. Devon, $78,000/year ($37.50/hour equivalent), 5 unpaid days (40 hrs = $1,500), 24 PTO hours ($900), plus $9,000 severance = $11,400 gross, of which the $9,900 lump-sum portion withholds at supplemental rates.
Example 3 — commission catch. Ana's employer says her Q3 commissions ($3,200) aren't payable because she left before the payment date. Whether earned commissions survive exit depends on the plan wording and state law — in many states, commissions "earned" by her sales are wages that must be paid. This exact clause is the most disputed final-pay item; read your plan and push back in writing.
Final Paycheck Deadlines
| Situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| California — terminated | Immediately, same day |
| California — quit with 72+ hours notice | Last working day |
| Colorado — terminated | Immediately (with grace for payroll processing) |
| Texas — terminated | Within 6 calendar days |
| Many other US states | Next scheduled payday |
| United Kingdom | Normal payroll date for the final period |
| India | Within 2 working days under the Code on Wages; FnF in practice 30–45 days |
Late final wages trigger penalties in several states — California's waiting-time penalty adds a full day's wages per late day, up to 30 days.
Each Component, Verified
- Unpaid hours: reconstruct your last period's exact time with the work hours calculator or the weekly time card calculator — final periods are where "we'll fix it next cycle" errors go to die, because there is no next cycle.
- Overtime: owed at 1.5x the regular rate including differentials; check the math in the overtime pay calculator. Overtime liability survives resignation — leaving doesn't waive it.
- PTO payout: state-dependent — required as earned wages in California, Colorado, Illinois and others; policy-controlled in most states. Details and the state table in the PTO payout calculator.
- Severance: policy or negotiated; usually requires signing a release. Size it with the severance pay calculator and keep it a separate line item from earned wages.
- Expense reimbursements: submit before the last day; unreimbursed business expenses are recoverable in several states (California notably).
Deductions: What Employers Can and Can't Take
Lawful: taxes, court-ordered garnishments, benefit premiums for your final period, and repayments you authorized in writing (salary advances, relocation clawbacks with valid agreements). Contested territory: unreturned equipment (most states require written authorization; California effectively prohibits deducting it from final wages), training-cost clawbacks (enforceable only with clear agreements, increasingly restricted), and notice-shortfall recovery (standard in India — see the FnF settlement calculator — rare in at-will US employment). Any deduction taking you below minimum wage for hours worked is unlawful nearly everywhere.
How the Final Check Gets Taxed
Regular hours tax normally. Lump-sum components — PTO payout, severance, bonuses — withhold at the 22% federal supplemental rate plus 7.65% FICA plus state tax, so the check looks heavily taxed. It reconciles at filing; nothing is "lost". One planning note: December vs January exit dates shift the lump sums between tax years.
If the Check Is Wrong or Late
- Ask in writing for an itemized breakdown — hours, rates, PTO balance, and each deduction. Errors often surface (and get fixed) at this step.
- Compare against your own records — the copy-result output of this calculator is your baseline.
- Escalate to the state labor agency — wage claims are free or cheap, no lawyer required, and late-payment penalties often exceed the disputed amount.
- Deadlines matter: wage claims typically must be filed within 2–3 years; commission disputes may run on contract statutes. Sooner is stronger.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should my final paycheck include?
All unpaid regular and overtime hours, unused PTO where state law or policy requires payout, earned commissions and bonuses, agreed severance, and expense reimbursements — minus taxes and lawful deductions.
How soon must an employer give a final paycheck?
State-specific: same day if terminated in California, within 6 days in Texas, next regular payday in many states. India requires final wages within 2 working days under the Code on Wages.
Can an employer withhold my final paycheck?
No — earned wages must be paid. Withholding for unreturned equipment generally requires written authorization, and deductions can never cut hours-worked pay below minimum wage.
Is the final paycheck taxed more?
No, but lump-sum items (PTO payout, severance) withhold at the 22% federal supplemental rate plus FICA, making the check look heavily taxed. It reconciles at annual filing.
Do I get paid for overtime in my final check?
Yes — overtime earned in your last periods is owed at 1.5x the regular rate. Resigning does not waive overtime liability, and claims reach back 2–3 years.
Are commissions owed after I leave?
If they were earned under the plan's terms, in most states they are wages that must be paid even after separation. "Must be employed on payment date" clauses are the common battleground — read the plan.
Can my employer deduct a laptop I did not return?
Usually only with your written authorization, and never below minimum wage — California bars such deductions from final wages entirely. Employers must pursue equipment separately.
What is a waiting-time penalty?
California's remedy for late final wages: one full day of wages per day late, up to 30 days — frequently exceeding the original underpayment. Several states have similar penalties.
What if my final paycheck is wrong?
Request an itemized breakdown in writing, reconcile against your records, then file a state wage claim if unresolved — free to file and effective, with penalties for the employer if you are right.
Does severance come in the final paycheck?
Sometimes, but it is usually paid separately after you sign the release — on its own schedule (lump sum or installments) defined in the agreement.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: July 10, 2026