Paycheck calculator · 2026 federal rules
Bonus Tax Calculator for 2026
Calculate your after-tax bonus and see the difference between what payroll withholds and what the bonus may add to your final federal tax.
Quick estimate
Estimate your take-home bonus
Estimated take-home bonus $6,105 from a $10,000 gross bonus, after $3,895 of total withholding.
Estimated take-home bonus
$6,105from a $10,000 gross bonusTake-home
$6,105.00Federal
$2,200.00Payroll taxes
$765.00State estimate
$930.00Estimated withholding and federal tax are aligned.
See the full calculation
- Federal withholding
- $2,200.00
- Social Security
- $620.00
- Medicare
- $145.00
- Additional Medicare
- $0.00
- Selected-state tax estimate
- $930.00
- Total estimated withholding
- $3,895.00
This is a planning estimate, not a payroll quote or tax return. The selected-state amount estimates incremental 2026 income tax, not the employer's actual withholding table; local tax and state-specific credits or phaseouts may differ.
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How this calculator works
A bonus is ordinary wage income. It does not have a separate final federal tax rate. What changes is the way an employer may withhold federal income tax from the paycheck. That distinction explains why a bonus can look “taxed more” even when it is ultimately taxed through the same progressive brackets as regular wages.
Under the federal percentage method, payroll would generally withhold $2,200. Social Security and regular Medicare can add up to $765 before state tax, leaving $7,035 in this simplified example. The $2,200 is withholding—not necessarily the final federal tax on the bonus.
Why 22% is not your take-home rate
For a separately identified $10,000 bonus paid below the Social Security wage base and before state tax, three different numbers describe the same paycheck:
Percentage method
When a bonus is separately identified and the employee has had regular federal income tax withheld, an employer may withhold a flat 22% on supplemental wages up to $1 million. The portion of annual supplemental wages above $1 million is withheld at 37%. The calculator applies the threshold progressively when you enter year-to-date supplemental wages.
Aggregate estimate
Payroll may instead combine the bonus with regular wages and calculate withholding as if the total were one regular payroll payment. An exact aggregate paycheck calculation depends on pay frequency and Form W-4 details. CalcStride’s aggregate mode deliberately uses the change in estimated annual federal income tax instead. It is a planning comparison—not a reproduction of a specific payroll system.
Payroll taxes on a bonus
For 2026, employee Social Security tax is 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base. Medicare is 1.45% with no wage ceiling. Employers begin withholding an additional 0.9% Medicare tax after the wages they pay an employee exceed $200,000 during the calendar year. Year-to-date wages determine how much of the bonus crosses those payroll thresholds.
The “estimated final tax” figure compares ordinary federal tax before and after adding the bonus, using the 2026 standard deduction and tax brackets. Credits, itemized deductions, investment income, other jobs, and special deductions can change the actual return.
What the state selector means
The calculator estimates the additional 2026 state income tax caused by the bonus using the selected state's progressive wage-income schedule and the regular annual wages entered. This is a liability estimate, not the employer's supplemental-wage withholding table. Local payroll taxes, credits, phaseouts, reciprocity, and multi-state sourcing remain outside the model.
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Worked example
Suppose a single filer earns $95,000 in regular wages and receives a $10,000 separately paid bonus. Under the percentage method, federal withholding is $2,200. If all of the bonus remains below the Social Security wage base, employee Social Security is $620 and regular Medicare is $145.
The estimated increase in final federal tax may be higher or lower than $2,200 because the bonus sits on top of the filer’s other taxable income. That gap is why the result visual compares payroll withholding with estimated incremental federal tax instead of presenting one number as both.
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Questions people ask
How much tax is taken out of a $10,000 bonus?
Under the federal percentage method, $2,200 is generally withheld for federal income tax. If the full bonus is below the Social Security wage base, employee Social Security and regular Medicare add $765, leaving $7,035 before state or local tax. Final federal income tax can be higher or lower when the full-year return is filed.
How do I calculate a bonus after tax?
Start with the gross bonus and subtract federal income-tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and applicable state or local withholding. The withholding result is a paycheck estimate; final income tax is reconciled on the full-year return.
Are bonuses taxed at 22% in 2026?
Twenty-two percent is an optional federal withholding rate for qualifying supplemental wages up to $1 million, not a separate final tax rate. Your final federal liability depends on total taxable income, deductions, credits, and filing status.
Why was more than 22% taken from my bonus?
Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare Tax, and state or local withholding can be added to federal income-tax withholding. An employer using the aggregate method can also produce a federal amount different from 22%.
Does a bonus count toward the Social Security wage base?
Generally, yes. A bonus treated as wages is subject to Social Security tax until total covered wages reach the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Medicare continues after that limit.
Will I get the difference back as a refund?
Not necessarily. Over-withholding on the bonus can offset under-withholding elsewhere, while under-withholding can be covered by other payments or credits. A refund or balance due depends on the entire tax return.
Does the calculator include every state?
Yes. Select any state or D.C. for a 2026 incremental state income-tax estimate. Employer withholding tables, local tax, reciprocity, and multi-state payroll treatment can still differ.
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Sources and model basis
This calculator is for tax year 2026 — the return filed in early 2027. Rates, brackets, deductions and limits are the ones in force for 2026, including changes enacted during 2026 that apply retroactively to the whole year. It does not estimate any other year.
Published rules and formulas are linked below. Values supplied by the visitor remain scenario inputs, not factual claims.
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax GuideSupplemental wages, 22%/37% withholding, Social Security and Medicare rules
- IRS 2026 inflation adjustmentsTax brackets and standard deductions
- SSA contribution and benefit base determination2026 Social Security wage base