2026 tax year
Bonus tax calculator
Your bonus is not taxed at a higher rate, it is withheld differently, and the difference is temporary.
The single most common belief about bonuses is wrong: a bonus is not taxed more than your salary. It is often withheld more, because employers can use a flat 22% federal rate on supplemental pay instead of your normal marginal rate. At tax time both methods settle to the same bill, the only question is whether you lend the IRS money in the meantime.
Enter your bonus and salary, then Calculate.
Worked example, a $10,000 bonus on a $50,000 salary
A single filer in Ohio earning $50,000 receives a $10,000 bonus. FICA takes $765 and Ohio takes $275 either way. The federal piece is where the two methods split:
| Method | Federal withheld | FICA | State | Take-home now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat 22% | $2,200 | $765 | $275 | $6,760 |
| Aggregate (marginal) | $1,200 | $765 | $275 | $7,760 |
Here the flat method withholds $1,000 more than the aggregate method, because this filer's marginal bracket is below 22%. That extra $1,000 is not lost, it comes back as a larger refund. The flip happens above roughly $200,000, where the marginal rate passes 22% and the flat method starts withholding too little, leaving a bill in April instead.
Questions
Is my bonus taxed at 22%?
No. 22% is a federal withholding rate your employer may apply to supplemental pay, not a tax rate. Your bonus is ordinary income, taxed in your regular brackets when you file. If 22% was withheld and your real rate is lower, the difference returns as a refund.
Why did my employer take out so much?
Most likely the flat 22% method on a bonus that, for you, sits in the 10% or 12% bracket. That over-withholds now and evens out at filing. Some payroll systems also lump the bonus into one paycheck and use the aggregate method, which can withhold at a high marginal rate for that one check.
Can I have less withheld from a bonus?
The method is your employer's choice, not yours. What you can do is adjust your regular W-4 so the rest of your year withholds less, offsetting a bonus that was over-withheld. The W-4 withholding calculator shows whether you are on track for the year.
What about a bonus over $1 million?
Federal withholding on supplemental pay above $1 million in a year is a flat 37% on the excess, not 22%. This calculator models the ordinary case below that threshold.
Does a bonus affect my Social Security tax?
Only up to the annual wage base. Social Security tax stops once your wages for the year pass that base; Medicare has no cap, so its 1.45% applies to the whole bonus. The calculator accounts for how much of the wage base your salary has already used.
Related tools
- W-4 withholding calculator are you on track for the year?
- Paycheck calculator take-home on your regular salary
- Raise calculator is a raise worth more than a one-off bonus?
Withholding estimate for the 2026 tax year. Your final tax is settled on your return, not by the withholding method. Not tax advice.