Bonus Tax Calculator: What Comes Out of Your Bonus Check
Enter your bonus and what you have been paid so far this year to see the federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and state amounts taken out, and what lands in your account.
When a bonus is paid separately from your regular pay, employers can withhold federal income tax at a flat 22%, a flat 22% federal rate that employers may use for supplemental wages, rising to 37% on any part of the year's bonuses above $1 million. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) come out too. On a $5,000 bonus that is $1,100 plus $310 plus $72.50, so $3,517.50 reaches you before any state tax.
This page estimates bonus withholding for general education. It is not tax advice and it is not your pay stub. It uses the flat-rate method and the 2026 Social Security and Medicare figures, assumes federal tax was withheld from your regular pay this year or last, which Publication 15 requires before the flat 22% can be used (if it was not, the figure here does not apply), applies any state rate you enter as a flat percentage, and leaves out local taxes, retirement deferrals and other deductions. Your employer's payroll and your tax return set the final amounts. Check with a qualified tax professional before making decisions.
Estimated bonus after withholding
$3,517.50
| Bonus | $5,000.00 |
| Federal income tax (22% flat) | -$1,100.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$310.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$72.50 |
| Total withheld | -$1,482.50 |
Flat-rate method for 2026. Withholding is a prepayment: the tax you finally owe on the bonus is settled on your return with the rest of your income.
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About the Bonus Tax Calculator
Bonuses can feel taxed harder than salary because the flat rate is applied to the bonus alone, not spread across your paycheck. A bonus counts as supplemental wages for withholding. When your employer pays it as a separate payment, it can withhold a flat 22% for federal income tax instead of running the bonus through your normal paycheck tables. The 22% is the same at every income level, so it can come out above or below the withholding on a regular paycheck, depending on your situation. Once the year's supplemental pay passes $1 million, the excess is withheld at 37% whatever your Form W-4 says. Social Security takes 6.2% until your wages for the year reach the 2026 wage base of $184,500, Medicare takes 1.45% of everything, and an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare applies to wages above $200,000 in the year. None of this is the final tax. The bonus is added to your other income on your return, and your refund or balance due depends on all of the year's withholding compared with your total tax, not on the bonus's 22% alone. Some employers use the aggregate method instead, adding the bonus to a regular paycheck; this page does not model that.
Frequently asked questions
Why was more than 22% taken out of my bonus?+
Because 22% is only the federal income tax. Social Security and Medicare add 7.65% on top, state tax may add more, and if your employer combined the bonus with a regular paycheck, the aggregate method can withhold at a higher rate for that one check.
Do I get bonus withholding back?+
Possibly, but not on the bonus by itself. Withholding is a prepayment. When you file, the bonus is taxed with the rest of your income, and your refund or balance due depends on everything withheld during the year compared with your total tax.
Why does Social Security stop on a large bonus?+
Social Security applies only up to the wage base, $184,500 in 2026. If your earlier pay this year has already reached it, none of the bonus is charged; if the bonus crosses it, only the part below the base is.
What should I enter for state withholding?+
Enter 0 if you live in a state with no wage income tax. Otherwise use the supplemental withholding rate your state publishes, or your employer's figure from a past bonus stub. This page applies it as a flat percentage of the bonus.
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