How Wisconsin taxes bonuses
Wisconsin has no flat rate for bonuses. Employers add the bonus to a regular paycheck and withhold Wisconsin tax with the normal tables, so the state amount depends on your regular pay. Employers may instead use a flat 3.54% to 7.65%, set by your yearly wages.
Federal withholding is the same in every state. Most employers take a flat 22% of the bonus (37% on supplemental pay over $1,000,000 in a year). Social Security takes 6.2% up to the yearly wage base and Medicare 1.45%. If your employer adds the bonus to a regular $2,500 paycheck instead, the aggregate method withholds about $1,150.54 of federal tax on a $5,000 bonus, against $1,100.00 with the flat rate.
Take-home pay on a bonus in Wisconsin
What is withheld from bonuses of different sizes, with the federal flat rate, for a single filer who has not yet reached the Social Security wage base this year.
| Bonus | Federal income tax | Social Security and Medicare | Wisconsin taxes | Take-home bonus | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $220.00 | $76.50 | $55.11 | $648.39 | 64.8% |
| $2,500 | $550.00 | $191.25 | $134.61 | $1,624.14 | 65% |
| $5,000 | $1,100.00 | $382.50 | $267.11 | $3,250.39 | 65% |
| $10,000 | $2,200.00 | $765.00 | $571.56 | $6,463.44 | 64.6% |
| $25,000 | $5,500.00 | $1,912.50 | $1,719.06 | $15,868.44 | 63.5% |
| $50,000 | $11,000.00 | $3,825.00 | $3,631.56 | $31,543.44 | 63.1% |
Why Wisconsin bonus withholding depends on your pay
Because Wisconsin runs a bonus through its regular withholding tables, the same $5,000 bonus can have more state tax taken out when your regular paycheck is bigger. Biweekly pay, single filer:
| Regular paycheck | Wisconsin tax on a $5,000 bonus | Share of the bonus |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 ($39,000 a year) | $273.47 | 5.47% |
| $2,500 ($65,000 a year) | $267.11 | 5.34% |
| $4,000 ($104,000 a year) | $265.00 | 5.3% |
| $6,000 ($156,000 a year) | $269.20 | 5.38% |
Wisconsin bonus taxes compared with nearby states
The same $5,000 bonus, flat federal rate, in each state that borders Wisconsin. Of these, Iowa leaves the most of the bonus in your pocket.
| State | State bonus withholding | State taxes on the bonus | Take-home bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | Regular tables | $267.11 | $3,250.39 |
| Illinois bonus tax calculator | 4.95% flat | $247.50 | $3,270.00 |
| Iowa bonus tax calculator | 3.8% flat | $190.00 | $3,327.50 |
| Michigan bonus tax calculator | 4.25% flat | $212.50 | $3,305.00 |
| Minnesota bonus tax calculator | 6.25% flat | $334.50 | $3,183.00 |
More Wisconsin pay calculators
For your regular take-home pay, use the Wisconsin paycheck calculator. To see a bonus next to your regular paycheck, try the bonus paycheck calculator. Employers paying a bonus can use the bonus payroll calculator or the Wisconsin payroll calculator. The bonus tax calculator page compares every state.
Sources
Federal figures follow IRS Publication 15. Wisconsin bonus withholding comes from the state's own guidance: revenue.wi.gov. See how we calculate for the withholding method.