Vocations · Professional Development · Pay

A $6,000 bonus
is not a
$6,000 deposit.

Bonuses are withheld differently from a paycheck, and the check surprises people. Type the bonus and a few facts about your year to see every line that comes out and what lands in your account.

Check my bonusWhat you get

The bonus value calculator

The worked example is a $6,000 year-end bonus. Nothing you type leaves this browser.

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What you get

Vocations · Professional DevelopmentFree

What you finish with
Each amount withheld from the bonus check, the retirement deferral and the take-home amount, with the share of the gross you keep. It prints as a summary and downloads as a spreadsheet.
Who it is for
Employees expecting a bonus, graduates comparing job offers with signing or year-end bonuses, and anyone learning how pay is taxed.
Format
Browser calculator for a phone, tablet or computer, by touch or keyboard. Prints a summary; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); export and import a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Professional Development space in Caveat Vocations.
Support
Questions, a correction or a request: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Type the gross bonus from the offer or announcement.
  2. Type wages paid so far this year from your last pay stub.
  3. Add any 401(k) or 403(b) share your plan takes from bonuses.
  4. Type your state’s supplemental withholding rate, or 0.
  5. Compare the take-home with what you planned to spend.

Check my bonus

How the bonus check is worked out

The federal rules for supplemental wages, in four lines.

The worked example: a $6,000 year-end bonusGross$6,000year-end bonus− 401(k)$3606%, pre-tax− Taxes withheld$1,95422% + 7.65% + 4.5%= Take-home$3,68661% of the grossThe worked example: a $6,000 year-end bonusGross$6,000year-end bonus− 401(k)$3606%, pre-tax− Taxes withheld$1,95422% + 7.65% + 4.5%= Take-home$3,68661% of the gross
The deferral comes off first; income taxes apply to what is left, payroll taxes to the whole bonus.

Federal income tax

A bonus paid apart from regular pay is a supplemental wage. Employers may withhold federal income tax at a flat 22% on it, up to $1 million in a year. This is a prepayment. On your return the bonus is taxed with the rest of your income, so you may get some back or owe a little.

Payroll taxes

Social Security takes 6.2% until your wages for the year reach the wage base, $184,500 in 2026. Medicare takes 1.45% with no cap, and employers withhold an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in the year. A pre-tax 401(k) deferral lowers income tax withholding but not these two.

Sources

  1. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide: supplemental wages (irs.gov/pub15).
  2. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods (irs.gov).
  3. Social Security Administration. Contribution and benefit base: 2026 maximum taxable earnings (ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html).
  4. Internal Revenue Service. Questions and answers for the Additional Medicare Tax (irs.gov).

The worked example’s bonus, wages and state rate are examples. This shows withholding, not tax advice; state rules vary. Your entries stay in this browser. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.