{
  "slug": "bonus-tax",
  "title": "Bonus Tax Calculator",
  "heading": "Bonus Tax Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/bonus-tax",
  "summary": "Why your bonus arrived so much smaller than promised.",
  "description": "Employers usually withhold bonuses at a flat 22% supplemental federal rate (37% above $1 million), plus FICA and state tax. That is withholding, not your final tax bill — if your real rate is lower you get it back at filing.",
  "formula": "Net bonus = Bonus − (22% or 37% supplemental federal) − FICA 7.65% − state rate.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=bonus-tax",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "bonus",
      "label": "Bonus amount",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "stateRate",
      "label": "State tax rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 15
    },
    {
      "id": "marginal",
      "label": "Your actual marginal rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 24,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 50
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "net",
      "label": "Bonus after withholding",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "takeHomePct",
      "label": "You keep",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "fed",
      "label": "Federal supplemental withholding",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "fica",
      "label": "FICA",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "state",
      "label": "State tax",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "refundEstimate",
      "label": "Likely refunded at filing",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Bonus amount: 15000 $",
      "State tax rate: 5 %",
      "Your actual marginal rate: 24 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Bonus after withholding: $9,802.50",
      "You keep: 65.3%",
      "Federal supplemental withholding: $3,300.00",
      "FICA: $1,147.50",
      "State tax: $750.00",
      "Likely refunded at filing: $0.00"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter bonus amount ($).",
      "Enter state tax rate (%).",
      "Enter your actual marginal rate (%).",
      "Read your bonus after withholding on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "bonus": 9000,
        "stateRate": 3,
        "marginal": 14
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "bonus": 15000,
        "stateRate": 5,
        "marginal": 24
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "bonus": 24000,
        "stateRate": 8,
        "marginal": 38
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the bonus tax calculator work?",
      "a": "Employers usually withhold bonuses at a flat 22% supplemental federal rate (37% above $1 million), plus FICA and state tax. That is withholding, not your final tax bill — if your real rate is lower you get it back at filing. The underlying maths is: Net bonus = Bonus − (22% or 37% supplemental federal) − FICA 7.65% − state rate."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "3 values: bonus amount, state tax rate, and your actual marginal rate. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the bonus after withholding result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/take-home-pay",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/tax-bracket"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Bonus Tax Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/bonus-tax)"
}