Payroll Certification Prep

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Practice questions, flashcards, calculators, and a payroll reference tool — all in one place.

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Entry Level
FPC
Fundamental Payroll Certification
150 questions
3 hour exam
No experience req.
Advanced
CPP
Certified Payroll Professional
190 questions
4 hour exam
3 yr experience req.

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Annual rate updates when IRS and states publish new numbers
Recertification reminders timed to your CPP or FPC renewal window
PrepToPay is an independent exam preparation service not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PayrollOrg (American Payroll Association). FPC® and CPP® are registered trademarks of PayrollOrg. Use of these marks is for descriptive purposes only.
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Practice Quiz
KSA-mapped questions with full explanations
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Flashcards
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Reference & Calculators
2025 rate card, gross-up, garnishment, deposit schedule, compliance calendar
💡 Study Tip
Domain I (Core Payroll Concepts) is 29% of the FPC exam. Start there. Master Employment Taxes and FLSA before moving to calculations.
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Exam Mode
50 randomized questions — simulates the real test
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Weak Spot Drill
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Domain Drill
All questions from one domain — full access to the bank
FPC
Q1 of 10
Domain I — Core Payroll Concepts
K1301
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10 questions · FPC
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PrepToPay is an independent exam preparation service not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PayrollOrg (American Payroll Association). FPC® and CPP® are registered trademarks of PayrollOrg.
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TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER
What is the 2025 Social Security wage base?
K1301
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K1301 · Domain I
$176,100 — applies to both employee and employer Social Security contributions at 6.2% each. Medicare has no wage base limit.
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Payroll Practice Mode — Current 2026 rates for live payroll. Always verify with IRS.gov, SSA.gov, and your state agency before processing.
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2026 Payroll Rate Card
Current rates for live payroll — verify with official sources before use
Federal Employment Taxes — 2026
Social Security wage base$184,500
Social Security rate (EE + ER)6.2% each
Medicare rate (EE + ER)1.45% each
Additional Medicare (EE only)0.9% over $200K
FUTA gross rate / wage base6.0% / $7,000
FUTA net rate (after 5.4% credit)0.6%
Supplemental optional flat rate22%
Mandatory flat rate (over $1M)37%
Retirement Plans — 2026
401(k) / 403(b) deferral limit$24,500
Catch-up (age 50–59, 64+)$8,000
Super catch-up (age 60–63)$11,250
Annual additions limit$72,000
Annual compensation limit$360,000
Flexible Benefits — 2026
Health FSA limit$3,400
Dependent care FSA limit$7,500 (OBBBA)
HSA — self-only$4,400
HSA — family$8,750
HSA catch-up (age 55+)$1,000
State Disability — 2026 (Selected States)
California SDI1.3% — no wage cap
New Jersey TDI (EE)0.28% up to $161,400
New Jersey SUI (EE)0.425% up to $42,300
New York SDI (EE)~0.511% up to $72,860
Rhode Island TDI (EE)~1.3% up to $87,000
Hawaii TDI (EE)~0.5% up to $73,484
Pennsylvania EE UC0.06% up to $10,000
Other Key Limits — 2026
Business mileage rate$0.725/mile
FLSA exempt salary threshold$684/week (verify)
Federal minimum wage$7.25/hour
GTL exclusion limit$50,000
Adoption assistance exclusion$17,670
Qualified transportation (parking)$340/month
Qualified transportation (transit)$340/month
Non-employee comp threshold (1099-NEC)$600
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Gross-Up Calculator
Net to gross — full tax stack with auto bracket
Select tax year → FIT brackets and SS wage base auto-load. State dropdown auto-fills SDI and SUI.
Gross Payment Required
$0.00
State rates shown are top marginal or flat withholding rates for 2025. Verify with your state agency before use in live payroll.
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Garnishment Calculator
Disposable earnings & withholding limits
Maximum Withholding
$0.00
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Deposit Schedule Lookup
Monthly, semi-weekly, or next-day?
Deposit Schedule
Monthly
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Compliance Calendar
Key filing deadlines — 2025/2026
Jan 15
Monthly Deposit Due (Dec payroll)
Monthly depositors — deposit December employment taxes
Jan 31
W-2 / W-3 to Employees & SSA
Also: 1099-NEC to recipients and IRS; 940 filing; 941 Q4 filing
Feb 15
W-4 Exempt Status Expires
Employees claiming exempt must re-file or employer withholds at single/no adjustments
Feb 28
Paper 1099s to IRS
Paper filing deadline for 1099 series (electronic filers: March 31)
Mar 31
Electronic 1099s to IRS
Electronic filing deadline for 1099 series including 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC
Apr 30
Form 941 Q1 Filing
Quarterly payroll tax return for Jan–Mar 2026 wages
Jul 31
Form 941 Q2 Filing
Quarterly payroll tax return for Apr–Jun 2026 wages
Oct 31
Form 941 Q3 Filing
Quarterly payroll tax return for Jul–Sep 2026 wages
Jan 31 '27
2026 W-2s / 941 Q4 / 940
Annual filings for 2026 tax year
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Form Quick Reference
What each form is and when it's due
Form W-4 — Employee's Withholding Certificate
Completed by employee at hire and when withholding changes. No submission to IRS unless IRS requests it. Exempt status expires Feb 15 annually.
AT HIRE
Form I-9 — Employment Eligibility Verification
Must be completed within 3 business days of hire. Section 1 by employee on day 1; Section 2 by employer by day 3. Retain 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination, whichever is later.
AT HIRE
Form 941 — Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return
Reports federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from employee wages plus employer share. Due last day of month following quarter end.
QUARTERLY
Form 940 — Employer's Annual FUTA Tax Return
Reports FUTA liability for the year. Due January 31. If all deposits made on time, extension to February 10.
ANNUAL
Form W-2 — Wage and Tax Statement
Reports employee wages and withholding for the year. Must be furnished to employees by January 31. Copy A to SSA also by January 31.
ANNUAL
Form W-3 — Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements
Summary transmittal sent with Copy A of all W-2s to SSA. Due January 31. Not required for electronic filers (replaced by EFW2 file format).
ANNUAL
Form 1099-NEC — Nonemployee Compensation
Report payments of $600+ to independent contractors. Due to recipients and IRS by January 31. No automatic extension for NEC box.
ANNUAL
Form SS-8 — Worker Classification Determination
Either employer or worker can file to request IRS determination of worker classification (employee vs. independent contractor). Takes 6+ months for response.
AS NEEDED
All rates reflect federal law as of January 1, 2025. Verify current rates at IRS.gov before use in actual payroll processing.
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💡 Why practitioners keep PrepToPay after passing
The rate card, calculators, and compliance calendar are genuinely useful on the job — not just for studying. Most subscribers keep their account active long after their exam.
PrepToPay is an independent exam preparation service. PrepToPay is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PayrollOrg (American Payroll Association). FPC® and CPP® are registered trademarks of PayrollOrg. Use of these marks is for descriptive purposes only.
Payroll Assistant
Ask anything about payroll rules, rates, and compliance
Hi! Ask me anything about payroll — tax rates, overtime rules, deposit schedules, garnishments, compliance deadlines. What do you need?