Check Your Bonus Tax Rate in California (Step-by-Step Guide)

ByShane Watson

The Bonus Tax Rate in California is an additional tax on top of regular income tax that is applied to supplemental wages. This tax can affect employees’ take-home pay and is an important consideration for both individuals and businesses in California.

Check your vat from our website by clicking here Vat Calculator

When you are paying employee bonuses, it is important to understand how they should be taxed.

  1. When it comes to employee bonuses, it’s important to note that they are taxable and that the withholding calculations for taxes differ from those used for standard wages.
  2. In addition to the federal bonus tax rate of 22%, employers may also need to withhold FICA taxes and state bonus taxes from bonuses paid to employees in certain cases.
  3. It’s important to be aware that calculations for tax withholdings can differ depending on whether bonuses are paid separately from regular paychecks or alongside them.

Read More: How to not pay taxes on gambling winnings

Employee bonus taxes work

Employers are responsible for paying three different types of taxes on employee bonuses, including federal bonus taxes, additional federal taxes, and state taxes.

Federal bonus taxes

As mentioned earlier, the federal bonus tax rate is typically 22%, but how it is withheld from employee bonuses can vary. If a bonus is issued through a separate paycheck from the employee’s regular wages, it is subject to the federal 22% flat rate, which is known as the percentage method. However, if the bonus is added to the employee’s next regularly scheduled paycheck, a different method known as the aggregate method is used. We will delve deeper into these methods below.

Additional federal taxes

In addition to the federal bonus tax, employers must also account for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes when calculating tax liabilities for employee bonuses. For the 2020 tax year, the Social Security tax rate on bonuses is 6.2% on the first $137,700 of wages, while the Medicare tax rate is 1.45% on all wages under $200,000 and 2.35% on wages above $200,000. To simplify bonus withholding calculations, the cumulative Social Security and Medicare tax rate of 6.2% + 1.45% = 7.65% is often used.

Read More: Accounting businesses for Sale in Florida

State bonus taxes

Once the federal bonus tax and FICA tax calculations have been completed, the final step is to calculate the state bonus tax. It’s worth noting that not all states impose taxes on bonuses, and for those that do, the rates can vary depending on the type of bonus being paid. For instance, California has a supplemental wage tax rate of 6.60%, but this increases to 10.23% for bonuses and stock options. In Maryland, employers must add the local tax rate to the 5.75% state bonus tax rate when calculating the total amount of state bonus tax that must be withheld. To determine specific withholding requirements, consult a list of state bonus taxes.

How to calculate bonus taxes

Having identified the various types of bonus taxes that employers need to withhold, the next step is to ensure that the correct calculations are made. As mentioned earlier, the calculation of bonus tax withholding depends on whether the bonus is paid out as a separate check or included with the employee’s regular paycheck. The percentage method is used when bonuses are paid separately, while the aggregate method is used when they are paid with regular wages.

Tax liabilities and the percentage method

Suppose your company is based in a Colorado city without a local bonus tax and you award an employee a $1,000 bonus that is paid through a separate check or direct deposit. In that case, you must calculate the federal bonus tax using the percentage method. Begin with the 22% federal bonus tax, which equals $220 in this case. Then, calculate the FICA tax withholding of $76.50, and the state bonus tax withholding of $46.30, based on Colorado’s 4.63% rate. When you add all of these liabilities together, the total bonus taxes come out to $342.80. This means the employee’s bonus will be $657.20, not the original $1,000.

Tax liabilities and the aggregate method

When using the aggregate method, the federal bonus tax rate of 22% is not used. Instead, the standard federal income tax tables are used to calculate the tax withheld from the bonus. For example, if you pay a $1,000 bonus to an employee with a monthly salary of $6,500, their effective monthly salary with the bonus becomes $7,500, and their effective yearly salary with the bonus becomes $90,000. This places the employee in a higher federal income tax bracket of 24%, rather than the usual 22% bracket for their standard salary. To calculate federal bonus tax withholding using the aggregate method, multiply the bonus amount by the applicable federal tax rate: $1,000 x 0.024 = $24

The FICA tax and state bonus tax calculations remain the same. However, the aggregate method can result in higher bonus tax withholding and is more tedious to calculate, making the percentage method a preferred option for many employers. The percentage method can only be used if bonuses are paid separately from standard paychecks.

Read More: How to transfer money from India to USA without tax

Conclusion:

The bonus tax rate in California is one of the highest in the United States, with a maximum rate of 13.3%. This implies that Californian residents who receive bonuses may have to pay significantly more in taxes compared to residents of other states. The state’s bonus tax rate applies to all types of bonuses, including cash and non-cash bonuses like equity grants and stock options. Californians must take note of the state’s bonus tax rate and make necessary arrangements for any potential tax obligations when receiving bonuses.

FAQS:

Are bonuses taxed differently than regular pay?

Bonuses are subject to higher taxes than regular pay since they are classified as supplemental income. This means they are always subject to federal taxes, regardless of the tax bracket the recipient falls into. The two methods for calculating bonus taxes are the percentage method and the aggregate method, both of which are available through PaycheckCity’s free calculators for bonuses.

What is the percentage method for bonuses?

If your bonus comes in a separate payment from your regular paycheck, your employer will use the percentage method to calculate the tax withholding. This method withholds a flat rate of 22% (or 37% if the bonus is over $1 million). The percentage method is also applied to other types of supplemental income, such as commissions, severance pay, and overtime. Social Security, Medicare, and FUTA taxes still apply to supplemental wages.

What is the aggregate method for bonuses?

If your bonus is included in your regular paycheck, your employer will use the aggregate method to calculate your tax withholding. This means that your bonus will be taxed at the same rate as your regular earnings, including income taxes, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. Your employer will calculate your tax withholding based on the information you provided on your W-4 form.

Check VAT Calculators 
Shane Watson
Latest posts by Shane Watson (see all)

Similar Posts