Bonus Tax Calculator — South Carolina (2026)
Bonuses in South Carolina are taxed as supplemental wages: the employer usually withholds a flat 22% federal, plus 7.65% FICA and South Carolina state withholding. Withholding is not the final tax; the true cost is settled on your return. Enter your bonus to see both. South Carolina uses a progressive income tax with 3 brackets running from 0.00% up to 6.20%, applied after a state standard deduction of $16,100.
South Carolina Bonus Tax Calculator
The gross bonus before withholding.
Percentage method vs aggregate method
Under the percentage method the bonus is separated from regular pay and hit with the flat 22% federal rate (37% above $1 million of supplemental wages in a year). Under the aggregate method the employer combines the bonus with your normal check and withholds at your marginal rate — which can temporarily withhold far more than 22%.
Either way the bonus is ordinary income. If your marginal federal bracket is 24% or higher, the 22% flat withholding leaves you short at filing time; if you are in the 12% bracket, you are over-withheld and get it back as a refund.
The South Carolina layer on bonuses
South Carolina taxes bonus income at the same progressive brackets as salary — up to 6.20%. A $10,000 bonus therefore carries roughly $620 of South Carolina tax at the top rate, on top of federal and FICA.
South Carolina has no separate city or county income tax, so the state figure above is the full sub-federal income tax you pay.
Reducing the tax on a Charleston bonus
Deferring part of the bonus into a 401(k) or HSA cuts federal and South Carolina income tax immediately, though FICA still applies. Some employers allow a separate bonus deferral election — ask payroll before the payment date, not after.
Timing matters too: pushing a bonus into January shifts the tax year, useful if this year included unusually high income from automotive work or an equity event.
Local and payroll taxes South Carolina adds on top
South Carolina adds no state-mandated employee payroll deduction beyond FICA, so nothing extra is taken from your gross pay at the state level.
South Carolina has no separate city or county income tax, so the state figure above is the full sub-federal income tax you pay.
Bonuses are wages, so every local layer that applies to your regular South Carolina paycheck applies to the bonus too — which is why a supplemental payment often nets a smaller share than your salary does.
Working across a state line from South Carolina
South Carolina has no income-tax reciprocity agreements, so if you live here and work across a state line you generally file a nonresident return in the work state and claim a credit at home to avoid double taxation.
Remote and hybrid work complicates this further: most states tax income where the work is physically performed, so a Charleston resident spending part of the year at a client site in North Carolina may owe a nonresident return there. Keep a day-count log if you split time between states.
The rest of your South Carolina tax bill
South Carolina charges a 6% state sales tax, homeowners pay an average effective property tax of 0.57% of market value, and the minimum wage in force during 2026 is $7.25 an hour.
Local option taxes bring most areas to 7%–9%.
Income tax is only one part of a state's take. South Carolina recovers revenue through sales and property tax as well, which is why headline income tax rates alone are a poor guide to how far a salary really goes. South Carolina exempts Social Security and offers a $10,000 retirement deduction plus a $15,000 senior deduction at 65+.
South Carolina vs North Carolina on the same salary
On a $75,000 salary, a single filer keeps about $58,599 a year in South Carolina against roughly $58,791 in North Carolina — a difference of $192, or $16 a month.
Effective combined rates are 21.9% in South Carolina and 21.6% in North Carolina. Set that gap against living costs: index 95 here versus 96 there, with property tax at 0.57% and 0.8% respectively.
South Carolina income tax brackets 2026 (single filer)
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $3,460 | 0.00% |
| $3,460 – $17,330 | 3.00% |
| $17,330 and up | 6.20% |