Commission Paycheck Calculator

Closed a big deal? Here's what your commission check will actually pay you. Commissions count as "supplemental wages," so a separate commission check is usually withheld at a flat 22% for federal tax. This calculator shows that, plus Social Security, Medicare, and your state's rate. Results update as you type, and everything runs in your browser.

Separate check or combined with your salary?

How your commission is paid changes what comes out of that check — though not your final tax bill. If your employer pays the commission as its own check (or lists it separately), they can withhold the flat 22% federal rate, which is what this calculator uses. If the commission lands in the same check as your regular salary, the IRS's aggregate method applies instead: the two are added together and withheld as if that combined amount were your normal pay. A big commission month can push that check's withholding up sharply, because the math assumes you'd earn that much every pay period. It feels like a penalty, but it isn't one — see below.

Withholding is not your final tax

Whatever comes out of the commission check is a prepayment, not the verdict. On your tax return, commission income is taxed exactly like salary, at your normal rates, and everything withheld during the year counts toward the bill. If the flat 22% (or a hefty combined check) took out more than you ultimately owe, the extra comes back as a refund. Salespeople with lumpy income often see big refunds or small balances due for exactly this reason — the withholding system just can't see your whole year.

State tax on commissions

States tax commissions as wages, several at flat supplemental rates. California withholds 6.6% on commissions — note that's lower than its 10.23% bonus rate, because California treats commissions as "other" supplemental pay — and also takes its 1.3% SDI. New York State withholds 11.70%, New York City adds 4.25% for residents, Yonkers adds 1.95975% for residents, and New York's Paid Family Leave contribution (0.432%) applies too. Texas and Florida take nothing. Pick your state above for your own numbers. Social Security (6.2%, until your year's wages pass $184,500 in 2026) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% over $200,000) come out of commissions just like salary — if you earn salary plus commissions, use the advanced field above so the caps land in the right place.

A quick example

An $8,000 commission in California: $1,760 federal (22%), $496 Social Security, $116 Medicare, $528 California tax (6.6%), $104 SDI — you keep $4,996 from the check.

Estimate for general information only — not tax, legal, or financial advice. Federal flat rate: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), supplemental wages; 37% rate above $1 million per Treas. Reg. 31.3402(g)-1. California: DE 44 (2026), 6.6% other-supplemental rate and 1.3% SDI. New York: NYS-50-T (1/26) supplemental rates; Paid Family Leave 0.432% (2026). See our methodology & sources.