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Bonus Calculator
A $5,000 bonus does not mean $5,000 in your bank. Tax comes out first — and how much depends on which of the two methods your employer uses. This bonus calculator shows you both, so you can see what you keep either way.
Example filled in: a $5,000 bonus, single, in Texas — you keep $3,517.50 under the flat 22% method and $3,503.16 under the aggregate method.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your bonus amount and your regular gross pay per paycheck.
- Pick your filing status, state, and pay frequency.
- Tap "Work out my bonus" — this bonus tax calculator updates as you change any number, and shows what you keep under both the flat 22% method and the aggregate method.
The two methods, in plain words
Percentage method. Your employer holds back a flat 22% of the bonus for federal tax, then Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%) and state tax on top. If your bonuses add up to more than $1,000,000 in a year, the part above $1,000,000 is held back at 37% instead of 22%. This is the method most employers use, because it is simple.
Aggregate method. Your employer adds the bonus to one regular paycheck and taxes the whole thing at your normal rates, using the same 2026 figures as the Paycheck Calculator — standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly in 2026), federal tax from simplified 2026 brackets, FICA = 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 + 1.45% Medicare (+0.9% over $200,000), plus state tax. The take-home bonus is the difference between that big paycheck and a normal one.
Worked example — $5,000 bonus in Texas
$5,000 bonus, single, in Texas, paid every two weeks, with a regular paycheck of $2,307.69 gross ($60,000 a year, no 401(k) or health taken out, so the numbers are easy to follow):
Percentage method: federal tax 22% = $1,100.00, Social Security 6.2% = $310.00, Medicare 1.45% = $72.50, Texas state tax $0.00. Total taken out $1,482.50, so you keep $3,517.50.
Aggregate method: the bonus is added to the regular paycheck, making one paycheck of $7,307.69 gross. That paycheck's take-home pay is $5,441.23, while a normal paycheck's take-home pay is $1,938.07 — so the bonus itself is worth $3,503.16 in your bank. The extra federal tax on that paycheck is $1,127.46 and the extra FICA is $369.38. Here the aggregate method keeps a little less ($14.34 less), because the bigger paycheck is taxed at a higher rate than the flat 22%.
Frequently asked questions
Which method will my employer use?
Most use the percentage method — the flat 22% — because it is simple and the same for everyone. Some use the aggregate method, which follows your normal tax rates. If you are not sure, ask your payroll team, or check your pay stub: if the federal tax on the bonus is exactly 22% of the bonus, it was the percentage method.
Why 22%, not my normal tax rate?
Because the IRS treats bonuses as supplemental wages, and the rule for them is a flat 22% federal withholding, up to $1,000,000 of bonuses in a year. Above $1,000,000, the part over that line is held back at 37%. This is withholding, not your final tax — when you file your return, the bonus is taxed at your normal rates, and any extra held back comes back as a refund.
Does Social Security come out of a bonus?
Yes — Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) apply to bonuses, the same as to normal pay. The one exception is the Social Security wage base: once you have earned $184,500 in the year, no more Social Security comes out. This calculator assumes you have not reached that line yet; if you have, the real take-home bonus will be a little higher.
How much tax is taken out of a $5,000 bonus?
In Texas, single, paid every two weeks: $1,482.50 under the flat 22% method — $1,100.00 federal tax, $310.00 Social Security and $72.50 Medicare, with no state tax. That leaves $3,517.50 in your bank. Under the aggregate method the tax is a little higher, so you keep $3,503.16.
How much of my bonus will I keep?
Most of it, but not all of it. On a $5,000 bonus in Texas you keep $3,517.50 under the flat 22% method and $3,503.16 under the aggregate method — about 70% of the bonus either way. Put in your own bonus, state and filing status above to see your number.
Sources and 2026 figures. IRS Publication 15-T; IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Supplemental wages are withheld at a flat 22% federal rate (37% on the part of supplemental wages above $1,000,000 in a year). Standard deduction 2026: $16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly. Social Security wage base 2026: $184,500. Social Security 6.2%, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% over $200,000). Results are estimates, not tax advice.
Estimate, not tax advice. This calculator uses simplified 2026 tables for illustration. Verify your withholding with IRS Publication 15-T and a tax professional.