What is deducted from a payroll check?

Pretax deductions such as those for health insurance, retirement accounts and flexible spending accounts are common paycheck deductions, as are federal and state tax deductions. Deductions also include those for Social Security, although companies refer to this deduction by various names such as FICA or OASDI.

FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, and OASDI stands for the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance program. Whatever the deduction is called, it is for the same program that feeds into Social Security. Miscellaneous items that show up as deductions on some paychecks include bus passes and cafeteria benefits, although they are not tax deductible.