How Income Taxes Work

There's nothing quite like the excitement and pride of receiving your very first paycheck. You worked hard for a solid month, and here's your much-deserved compensation. But wait a second ... what's the story with this line that says "net pay?" That can't be your actual salary, could it? What happened to all of your money? By the time you get your paycheck, it's been cut up like a pizza, with several government agencies taking a piece of the pie. Exactly how much money is withheld from each check varies from person to person, company to company and state to state. However, almost every income earner has to pay federal income tax.