The Payroll Office processes payment and oversees timekeeping for all student, contingent and regular employees. We work within the guidelines of the State of Maryland’s Central Payroll Bureau.
The Payroll Office is available 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
For assistance, questions or concerns please contact our help line at 410-704-5599 or send an email to Payroll AT_TOWSON.
Payroll address changes must be reported to both the state of Maryland's Central Payroll Bureau and Towson University.
The state of Maryland’s Central Payroll Bureau requires an updated W4 form with the new address along with completion of the federal and state tax withholding sections. The preferred method is online via Payroll Online Service Center (POSC).
If you must submit by paper, the appropriate Federal Form W4 (PDF) must be fully completed with the new address, along with federal and state tax withholding sections, printed, signed and submitted to the appropriate offices for processing (see below).
Submit your completed W4 form to the Payroll Office located on the fourth floor of the Administration Building. Payroll staff will update your Towson University HR/Payroll address and forward the form to Central Payroll Bureau.
Submit your completed W4 form to the Office of Human Resources (OHR) located on the first floor of the Administration Building and they will forward the form to Central Payroll Bureau.
In addition Faculty and Staff must update their Towson University HR/Payroll address by logging on to PeopleSoft HCM, under Main Menu, Self Service, Personal Information Summary and click on Change HR/Payroll Address. This address change will be sent to the State Employee Benefits Division.
As a university employee, you are encouraged to participate in the many benefits offered by the payroll direct deposit program.
It usually takes one pay period before the direct deposit starts. The same is true if you are changing banks - you will receive a paycheck for one pay period before the new direct deposit starts.
If an employee's salary and/or fringe benefits have not been charged to the correct department, or if an employee expense should have been split between multiple budgets and was not, it is possible to reallocate those dollars.
Send an email to Payroll and include the specific information listed below. The person whose budget is to be charged should verify the agreement to transfer the expenses.
W2 wage and tax statements are prepared and mailed by the Central Payroll Bureau in Annapolis, usually in mid-January. If not received by end of January, the W2 can be printed using the Payroll Online Service Center (POSC).
If you still need help acquiring a replacement W2, contact the Financial Services help line at 410-704-5599, option 1 or finservehelp AT_TOWSON. You may also contact the Central Payroll Bureau in Annapolis at 410-260-7964.
Compare the year-end pay stub information to the W2 statement. Year-end pay stubs show actual earnings paid in the calendar year. The W2 reports only taxable earnings. Taxable earnings are reduced by any pre-tax deductions, such as health insurance, supplemental retirement contributions, flexible spending accounts, parking deductions, etc.
If the W2 has an entry labeled "STPICKUP" in box 14 that amount must be entered on line 3 of the Maryland Form 502 or line 19 of Form 505. The state pickup amount is the mandatory retirement deductions that are paid during the year that are exempt from federal tax but are subject to Maryland state and local tax.
If you need help estimating how withholding or deductions changes will affect your net pay or taxes, Central Payroll Bureau's Net Pay Calculator can be useful in estimating taxes and net pay. Have a copy of the most recent pay stub to enter all pay and deduction information, calculate and compare net pay to the pay stub (could be off by pennies due to rounding). This process can be repeated: make changes, recalculate, and see the net pay difference.
