Paycheck Analysis

Larry L. Bihlmeyer

This short program analyzes your paycheck for accuracy and lets you project future take-home pay so you can budget accordingly. Also included is a variable table for easy and personalized modification. For the VIC, 64, PET, Atari, TI, Apple, Color Computer, and Timex/Sinclair.

Here's a handy program that can help you do two important jobs: verify the accuracy of your take-home pay; and estimate your take-home pay in the future so you can do accurate budget studies. This is especially helpful since federal, state, and Social Security taxes are constantly changing. The program can easily be modified so you can adapt it to your situation. Here's how:

• The program is set up for two pay periods a month. If your pay periods are different, change the wording and revise the tax table values used in lines 620 to 840. You can get the necessary information from your payroll department. Also, as withholding rates change in the future, just update these lines accordingly.

• Cost of living pay is set up as a separate variable. It is taxed at a fixed 20 percent rate where I work. If your cost of living is taxed the same as regular pay, change (B + A) to TS in line 600 and change line 850 to F = TX.

• Overtime pay is included (lines 280–290) as a separate variable since it may be at a different hourly rate and may vary with each pay period.

• Deductions are found on lines 340 to 590. Just modify them if appropriate. Make sure to change line 860 if you use different variable names.

"Paycheck Analysis" will run on the VIC, 64, PET, Atari, TI, Apple, Color Computer, and Timex/Sinclair. Atari owners only: you must include line 110. Timex/Sinclair users must use LET before any assignment statements (for example, at line 320, type LET A = R*N).

Program Variables