English As A Second Language (esl) Podcast - Learn English Online

Learn how to talk about your paycheck and the money taken out of it. Bill opens his first paycheck and Carol explains the deductions. Dialogue/Story Bill: It's about time! I've been waiting for my first paycheck and now it's finally here. I'm ready to party this weekend! Whoa! Carol: What's the matter? Bill: What happened to all my money? The amount of this check is a lot less than I expected it to be. Carol: Yeah, my first paycheck was an eye-opener for me, too. Look at the pay stub and you'll see all of the deductions. After federal income taxes, state income taxes, and FICA, you're not left with a lot of money. Bill: You're right, but what's FICA? Carol: Those are taxes for Social Security and Medicare. Did you sign up for a retirement plan? If you did, those retirement contributions are deducted, too. Bill: Thank God, I didn't. But you know what? That still doesn't account for all of the deductions. Carol: Let me take a look. Oh, it looks like your wages are being garnished. Bill: They're garnis