Bonus Tax Calculator 2026
Estimate what a bonus is worth after withholding. Bonuses are supplemental wages: paid separately from regular pay, they are commonly withheld at a flat 22% federal rate — 37% above $1 million for the year — plus Social Security and Medicare. Enter the amount to see an estimate of the net.
Works offline — your inputs never leave this device. How that works
This models the flat supplemental method used when a bonus is paid separately from regular wages. If your employer instead lumps it into a normal paycheck (the aggregate method), the withholding for that period will look different — the amount owed for the year is the same either way.
Withholding is not the final tax. If 22% is above your real marginal rate, the difference returns as a refund when you file; if it is below, the balance is due then.
Verified 2026-07-31 against Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide (effective 2026-01-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only IRS can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: IRS Publication 15 — supplemental wages ↗
🎓 Understand this tool
What it is
An estimator for what a bonus is worth after withholding, using the flat supplemental-wage method employers commonly apply when a bonus is paid separately from regular wages.
How it works
IRS Publication 15 sets the supplemental withholding rate at a flat 22%, rising to 37% on supplemental wages above $1 million in a calendar year. Social Security applies at 6.2% until wages reach the $184,500 wage base, Medicare at 1.45% with no cap, and an extra 0.9% once wages for the year pass $200,000.
Getting the most from it
- Enter the gross bonus amount.
- Enter wages already paid this year so the wage base and Additional Medicare thresholds land correctly.
- Add a state supplemental rate if your state publishes one.
- Read the effective withholding percentage rather than the flat rate alone — FICA moves it.
Reading your result
The gap between the 22% headline and the effective percentage shown is FICA. Neither is your tax rate: withholding is a prepayment, and the difference between it and your actual liability is settled when you file.
What it can't tell you
It models the flat supplemental method only. Employers may instead use the aggregate method, which withholds as though the bonus were part of a normal paycheck and usually takes more for that period. Retirement deferrals from a bonus, and state rules that differ from a flat rate, are not modelled.
Frequently asked questions
Not taxed higher — withheld differently. When a bonus is paid separately from regular wages, employers commonly apply the flat 22% supplemental rate (37% on supplemental wages above $1 million in a calendar year). Your actual tax rate is settled on your return, so over-withholding comes back as a refund.
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Estimate what a severance package is worth before and after tax. Enter weekly pay, years of service, and the employer’s weeks-per-year formula to see the gross amount, the 22% federal supplemental withholding, Social Security and Medicare, and the net that actually lands in your account.
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