Identify the income sources included in gross income (e.g., wages, salary, tips, bonuses, commissions, interest, dividends, rental income, business income, alimony received, retirement distributions, unemployment benefits).
For each source, determine the amount before any deductions (taxes, payroll deductions, health insurance premiums, retirement contributions, etc.).
Add all gross amounts together to get total gross income.
If income is reported on a pay stub: use the “gross pay” figure for wages/salary.
If you receive multiple pay stubs during the period: sum the “gross pay” from each stub.
If self-employed: add total business receipts/revenue for the period (before deducting expenses) to calculate gross business income.
If you have investment income: include interest and dividends amounts before deductions.
If you have rental income: use total rent received before deducting expenses (repairs, utilities, mortgage interest, depreciation).
If you have other income: include the gross amount of each item before deductions.
If calculating annual gross income from monthly/weekly: multiply the period amount by the number of periods (e.g., monthly × 12, weekly × 52).
Confirm whether any items are excluded for the specific purpose (e.g., some forms or eligibility calculations may exclude certain benefits).
Record the final sum as total gross income for the selected time period (monthly, quarterly, or annual).