I just need to know if my work is correct. I am working in Excel and I need to find the formula for the expense Wages. I am not sure if wages consists of the gross pay or the net pay.

Does anyone have any suggestions what it might be? I was thinking it would be for the gross pay.

Wages are what the company pays to employ the person, which is more than the net pay the employee receives (because of various withholding employee deductions from the paycheck).

There are additional company expenses related to employing a person, besides gross pay. These would be the employer's contribution to social security, health plans and a 401K or pension plan (if any).

If you have not been told to include these, assume they are zero and use gross pay in figuring company cash flow.

To determine whether the expense for wages in Excel should be calculated based on gross pay or net pay, consider the following:

1. Gross Pay: This refers to the total payment before any deductions such as taxes, insurance, or contributions. It includes the entire amount earned by an employee.

2. Net Pay: This is the amount an employee receives after deductions have been made from their gross pay, such as taxes, insurance, or retirement contributions.

To decide whether to use gross pay or net pay for the expense calculation, you need to consider the purpose of the expense and how it is defined in your specific context. Here are a few scenarios:

1. If the expense is intended to track the total amount paid to employees without considering deductions, then you should use the gross pay. This is common when calculating overall labor costs or analyzing employee compensation.

2. On the other hand, if the expense is meant to reflect the actual amount of money leaving your company to compensate employees, then you should use the net pay. This is useful when analyzing cash outflows or budgeting for payroll expenses.

Ultimately, the decision depends on the specific requirements or objectives of your analysis or financial reporting. Consider discussing with your supervisor or reviewing any guidelines or documentation regarding how the expense should be calculated in your organization.