Georgia Bonus Tax Calculator 2026

HB 463 changed the rate mid-year

Georgia's Employer's Withholding Tax Guide for 2026 (updated September 2026) answers the bonus question directly, citing O.C.G.A. § 48-7-101(f)(5): bonuses and other compensation "are subject to Georgia withholding at the applicable income tax rate in effect at the time the compensation is paid." HB 463 cut the flat income tax rate from 5.19% to 4.99%, retroactive to January 1, 2026, but employers "must continue to withhold at the rate of 5.19% before the effective date of the rate change and may begin withholding at the new rate of 4.99% starting May 11, 2026."

So the pay date decides the rate. A $5,000 bonus paid today carries $249.50 of Georgia withholding; the same bonus paid on April 30, 2026 carried $259.50. Because the 4.99% rate applies to the whole 2026 tax year, anyone withheld at 5.19% early in the year recovers the extra 0.2 percentage point on the 2026 return.

Other 2026 changes

The same law raised Georgia's standard deduction to $15,000 for single, head-of-household and married-filing-separately taxpayers and $30,000 for joint filers, and increased the dependent deduction from $4,000 to $5,000. Those lower your annual Georgia tax and regular-paycheck withholding, but a flat-rate bonus is unaffected by them.