Bonus Tax Calculator: See Your Real Take-Home After Withholding
Estimate what you keep from a bonus after the 22% federal supplemental withholding, FICA, and your state's bonus tax. Percentage vs aggregate method.
Bonus Tax Calculator: See Your Real Take-Home After Withholding
Your bonus
Enter the bonus and base salary, then pick your state, filing status, and withholding method.
Bonus paid on a separate check, withheld at a flat 22% federally.
Advanced
Used to apply the $1M / 37% federal cap mid-year.
2026 estimate of employer withholding, not tax advice. Withholding is a prepayment, not the final tax you owe. State rates marked "estimated" approximate states without a published supplemental rate, and local city taxes are not modeled.
How bonuses are taxed: supplemental wages explained
A bonus is not a special category with its own tax rate. The IRS treats bonuses, commissions, overtime, and similar extra pay as "supplemental wages," and it sets rules for how employers withhold on them. The most common approach is the percentage method: a flat 22% federal income tax on the bonus when it is paid separately from your regular salary. On top of that come Social Security, Medicare, and your state's withholding.
Remember that withholding is not the same as the tax you owe. That flat 22% is a prepayment against your yearly bill. If it takes more than your real marginal rate, the difference returns to you at filing. That is why a bonus can feel like it was "taxed so high" even though your total tax for the year has not actually changed.
Percentage method vs. aggregate method
Two federal methods decide how much is withheld. The percentage method applies a flat 22% to the bonus when it arrives on its own check. It is simple and predictable, but it ignores your W-4, so it often over-withholds for lower and middle incomes. The aggregate method adds the bonus to a regular paycheck, treats the combined amount as one payment, and withholds using your W-4 rate for that pay period.
The two can land far apart. A $5,000 bonus for a single worker earning $70,000 withholds a clean $1,100 under the percentage method. Under the aggregate method that same bonus stacks on one paycheck, can briefly push withholding into a higher bracket for that period, and may pull more than $1,100. For higher earners already in the 24% bracket or above, the aggregate method can actually withhold closer to their true rate. Toggle the method above to compare your own numbers.
Federal, FICA, and state layers on your bonus
Four layers stack on a bonus. Federal supplemental withholding is 22% up to $1,000,000 of supplemental wages in a year and a mandatory 37% on any portion above that line. Social Security is 6.2%, but only on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, so a high salary can zero out the Social Security piece of the bonus. Medicare is 1.45% on every dollar, plus a 0.9% Additional Medicare surtax once wages pass $200,000 (single or head of household) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
State withholding is the fourth layer, and it varies widely. Some states publish a specific supplemental rate, such as California at 10.23% for bonuses and New York at 11.7%. Others fall back to their flat or top ordinary rate. Nine states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming) take nothing from wages at all. The calculator reads your state's rate from a 2026 table and flags any figure that is an estimate.
Will you get a refund on your bonus withholding?
Because the flat 22% is a blunt instrument, most people who see a big bite from a bonus are being over-withheld, not overtaxed. The "likely refund or shortfall" line above compares what was withheld against the tax the bonus really adds at your marginal rate. A positive number means that money comes back at filing; a negative number means you may owe a little more. If you would rather reconcile it during the year than wait, you can adjust your W-4 or make an estimated payment.
For a full picture that folds in 401(k) and HSA contributions, per-state brackets, and saved profiles to weigh offers, download the Stub44 Salary Calculator app. You can also line this up with the Net-to-Gross Salary Calculator, the Two-Income Household Take-Home tool, and the Second Job Take-Home Calculator to check how extra income stacks across your year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about bonus tax calculator: see your real take-home after withholding
Why is my bonus taxed so high?
Your bonus is not taxed at a higher rate. The IRS treats bonuses as supplemental wages, and employers withhold a flat 22% for federal income tax under the percentage method. If you earn under about $100,000, that 22% is usually more than your true marginal rate, so it feels like a heavy hit. The extra withholding is not lost. It comes back as a larger refund, or a smaller balance due, when you file. Use the Second Job Take-Home Calculator to see the same effect on stacked income.
How much of a $10,000 bonus will I actually keep?
For a mid-income single filer, a $10,000 bonus loses roughly $2,200 to the 22% federal supplemental withholding, $620 to Social Security, $145 to Medicare, and then your state rate on top. In a no-income-tax state that nets around $7,035; in a high-rate state like California (10.23% on bonuses) it drops closer to $6,010. Enter your own figures above to see the exact split for your state and filing status.
What is the difference between the percentage method and the aggregate method?
The percentage method applies a flat 22% federal rate when the bonus is paid on a separate check. The aggregate method adds the bonus to a regular paycheck, then withholds on the combined amount using your W-4 rate, which can pull more or less than 22% depending on your salary. Your employer picks the method, not you. This tool lets you model both so you can see the difference before payday.
Will I get some of my bonus withholding back?
Often yes. If the flat 22% withheld more than your real marginal federal rate, the difference is over-withholding that returns to you at filing. The "likely refund or shortfall" line above estimates this by comparing what was withheld against the tax the bonus actually adds at your marginal rate. If your income is high enough that the bonus sits in the 24% bracket or above, you may instead owe a small amount.
Are bonuses over $1 million taxed differently?
Yes. Once your supplemental wages for the year cross $1,000,000, the portion above that line is withheld at a mandatory 37% federal rate instead of 22%. The calculator splits the bonus at the $1M boundary and lets you enter supplemental wages already paid this year, so a second bonus that pushes you over the cumulative cap is rated correctly.
Do I pay Social Security and Medicare on a bonus?
Yes, with one cap. Social Security is 6.2% but only on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, so if your salary already exceeds that, no Social Security is withheld on the bonus. Medicare is 1.45% on every dollar, plus a 0.9% Additional Medicare surtax on wages above $200,000 (single or head of household) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
Which states don't tax my bonus?
Nine states levy no income tax on wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Pick one of those above and the state line shows $0. Every other state and DC applies either a published supplemental rate or an estimate based on its flat or top ordinary rate. Use the Remote Work State Tax tool to compare states.
Can I avoid the higher bonus withholding?
You can't pick your employer's withholding method, but you can adjust your W-4 or make estimated payments if the flat 22% consistently over-withholds for you. Withholding is only a prepayment. The amount evens out when you file your return, so heavier bonus withholding usually just shifts money into your refund rather than raising the tax you owe.