What this calculator does
Enter your bonus and a few facts about your pay this year. The calculator shows the federal income tax usually withheld from a bonus paid separately, Social Security and Medicare, your state withholding at the rate you enter and any 401(k) contribution, and what you take home. It can also work backwards: the bonus needed to take home an amount you choose.
How bonuses are withheld
The IRS calls bonuses, commissions and similar pay supplemental wages. When an employer pays a bonus separately from regular wages, it may withhold federal income tax at a flat 22%. Once an employee's supplemental wages for the year pass $1 million, the part above it must be withheld at 37% (IRS Publication 15, 2026). Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 of wages in 2026) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000) apply as on any pay.
Example: a $5,000 bonus with $60,000 already paid this year has $1,100 of federal income tax, $310 of Social Security and $72.50 of Medicare withheld, so $3,517.50 is left before any state tax. To take home $4,000 under the same rules, the bonus would need to be about $5,685.86.
Withholding is not the final tax
Your real federal tax depends on your total income, deductions and credits for the year. If 22% is more than your top tax rate, you may get some back when you file; if your top rate is higher, you may owe more. A bonus does not push all your income into a higher bracket: only the dollars in the higher bracket are taxed at that rate. See the tax bracket calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much tax is taken out of a bonus?
Often 22% for federal income tax, plus 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare, plus any state tax. The total held back is often around 30% before state tax.
Are bonuses taxed more than regular pay?
No. The withholding method can differ, but at tax time a bonus is taxed like the rest of your wages.
Can I put my bonus into my 401(k)?
If your plan allows deferrals from bonuses, yes, within the yearly limit. That lowers the income tax withheld, but Social Security and Medicare still apply.
What if my bonus is added to my regular paycheck?
Then the employer can figure withholding on the combined amount as if it were your normal pay, which can withhold more or less than 22%.