Bonus Tax Calculator 2026

Quick answer: how much of a bonus is withheld?

For many separate 2026 bonus checks, federal supplemental withholding starts at 22.0% up to $1,000,000 of supplemental wages for the year. Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare, supported state tax, local wage tax, and paycheck deductions can still reduce the check.

Example: a $5,000 separately paid Texas bonus estimates about $3,518 after federal supplemental withholding and FICA, before state income tax because Texas has no broad wage income tax.

Calculate 2026 bonus tax withholding

This 2026 bonus tax calculator estimates a separately paid supplemental wage check. It applies the federal supplemental wage withholding method, estimates Social Security and Medicare, includes supported state withholding and optional local tax fields, then shows an estimated net bonus. Employer payroll method, state or local rules, W-4 elections, year-to-date wages, and benefit setup can change an actual bonus check.

What is included

The estimate includes federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare where applicable, supported state tax, optional local tax inputs, W-4 adjustments, pre-tax deductions, and post-tax deductions. State pages show whether a state is enhanced, basic, no-income-tax, or still pending verified withholding support.

Bonus tax calculator quick answer

For many separate 2026 bonus checks, federal withholding starts at 22.0% for supplemental wages up to $1,000,000, then 37.0% above that level. Your after-tax bonus also depends on Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare, state withholding, local wage tax, and any paycheck deductions.

How to calculate bonus after tax in 2026

Enter the bonus amount, state, filing status, and any extra W-4 or deduction inputs. The calculator estimates the bonus paycheck after federal supplemental withholding, Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare when applicable, supported state tax, local tax, and post-tax deductions.

With the default $5,000 Texas bonus example, estimated take-home bonus pay is $3,518. States with income tax, local wage tax, SDI, or paid leave programs can produce a lower net bonus from the same gross amount.

1. Start with the gross bonus and whether it is paid separately from regular wages.
2. Apply the federal supplemental wage method or, when payroll aggregates wages, the regular percentage method tables.
3. Add FICA, supported state withholding, local wage tax, and paycheck deductions.
4. Compare the estimated net bonus with the final tax return later, because withholding is not final tax owed.

2026 supplemental bonus tax rate

IRS Publication 15 treats bonuses as supplemental wages. The short answer for many separate bonus checks is federal supplemental withholding at 22.0% up to $1,000,000 of supplemental wages for the year, with 37.0% withholding on supplemental wages above that threshold. Social Security, Medicare, supported state tax, local tax, and deductions can still apply.

2026 bonus tax examples

These examples use a separately identified bonus, single filing status, Texas as the selected state, no local tax, no pre-tax deductions, and no post-tax deductions. Texas is used to isolate federal supplemental withholding and FICA because it has no broad state wage income tax.

Bonus withholding vs final tax

A bonus is commonly treated as supplemental wages for payroll withholding. This page is a paycheck withholding estimate, not a final tax return calculator, so the amount withheld from a bonus can differ from the final tax owed after all annual income, credits, deductions, and other payments are reconciled.

State bonus tax examples

State pages help explain why the same bonus can produce different take-home amounts. Ohio and Pennsylvania can need local tax estimates, Illinois uses a flat state income-tax model, North Carolina and California add state wage withholding assumptions, and Texas has no broad state wage income tax.

Federal plus state bonus withholding

The federal supplemental wage rate is only the first layer. A 2026 after-tax bonus estimate should also account for Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare when wages are high enough, supported state withholding, local wage tax fields, and any paycheck deductions selected by the employee.

2026 percentage method tables for biweekly married filing jointly

For regular biweekly wages, a payroll system annualizes taxable wages, applies the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method table for the selected W-4 status, subtracts eligible Step 3 credits and applies Step 4 adjustments, then divides withholding back across pay periods. A bonus may instead use the flat supplemental method or aggregate method. See the 2026 federal paycheck withholding tables, methodology, and sources pages for the non-personalized calculation basis.

Quick answer for bonus after tax

For many separate 2026 bonus checks, start with 22.0% federal supplemental withholding, then add FICA, supported state withholding, any local wage tax, and paycheck deductions. Use the bonus paycheck calculator when you need the actual net check estimate by state.

Sources, update, and disclaimer

Source: IRS Publication 15 supplemental wage rules, IRS Publication 15-T percentage method tables, and the official state sources listed on each state calculator page. Last updated 2026-07-04 by PaycheckDB. This is an educational paycheck withholding estimate, not tax, legal, payroll, or financial advice.