# What the (Expletive!!!) why did my income tax DOUBLE?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684 "2009-12-17T23:13:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/1 "2009-12-17T23:13:32Z")
I just got my final check of the year. I’m dissapointed with my pitiful bonus, but I’m also shocked at my federal and state income tax. It wen’t from 9% and 2.5% respectively to 18% and 4.5%! Have I just not noticed this happening in the past years? For comparison, I made the equivalent of an extra pay check and a half this monthly period. This 2 week period check is essentially equivalent to 2.5 of my usual 2 week period checks. And I don’t make much. Did something go wrong or is this normal? Well, I guess that root canal I’ve been putting off, is going to have to wait another couple of months. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/2 "2009-12-17T23:33:53Z")
Was it just your bonus that got taxed heavily? Bonuses are typically taxed at the maximum amount, in other words, the government takes a shitload more of your money than they do with a normal paycheck. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/3 "2009-12-17T23:39:13Z")
Your taxes are calculated on what each paycheck would be over a full year. So if your paycheck is $1000 every two weeks, the tax rate is for $26,000 annual income. In your case your regular check and bonus boosted that. 1000+1500(extra paycheck and a half)=2500. the tax is calculated on the rate for $65,000 income. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/4 "2009-12-17T23:44:02Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Your taxes are calculated on what each paycheck would be over a full year. > > So if your paycheck is $1000 every two weeks, the tax rate is for $26,000 annual income. > > In your case your regular check and bonus boosted that. > > 1000+1500(extra paycheck and a half)=2500. the tax is calculated on the rate for $65,000 income. If that’s so, can I expect some of that money back come tax season? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/5 "2009-12-17T23:49:34Z")
You should, your overall tax rate for the entire year won’t change. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/6 "2009-12-18T03:17:16Z")
Sounds like a higher-than-usual withholding. Talk with whomever is in charge of that at work. It’s adjustable, to a degree. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/7 "2009-12-18T05:57:42Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > You should, your overall tax rate for the entire year won’t change. Unless it causes you to jump brackets; I’m not sure what the current cut-offs are. (I got hit like that once ------- the pain lingers) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/8 "2009-12-18T07:35:25Z")
You’ll get it back in your tax return and in the mean time Congress gets the interest from the float on your money. Expect a thank-you card in the mail for the gas to fly to the global warming summit (the hookers were free). ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/9 "2009-12-18T09:29:49Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Unless it causes you to jump brackets; I’m not sure what the current cut-offs are. > > (I got hit like that once ------- the pain lingers) You don’t “jump brackets” if your pay moves into the next bracket then _only_ the part of your pay that is in the higher tax bracket gets taxed at the higher rate. As the others have said, when you get a large lump sum it is taxed as though you earned it every pay. When it comes time to do your taxes, the tax is calculated on the total you’ve earned for the year and the bonus is therefore averaged out. You will then get some tax back. It all comes out in the wash, as they say. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/10 "2009-12-18T17:08:08Z")
This used to bug the heck out of me. I’d get a $1200 bonus, and after they took the taxes out I’d end up with about $750 because policy was to tax _all_ awards at the highest tax bracket, regardless of the amount. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/11 "2009-12-18T18:43:40Z")
[quote=“1920s Style “Death Ray”, post:9, topic:521684”] As the others have said, when you get a large lump sum it is taxed as though you earned it every pay. When it comes time to do your taxes, the tax is calculated on the total you’ve earned for the year and the bonus is therefore averaged out. You will then get some tax back. It all comes out in the wash, as they say. [/quote] _cough_ Alternative Minimum Tax _cough_ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/12 "2009-12-18T19:45:34Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > If that’s so, can I expect some of that money back come tax season? Yah. If you normally have a refund, it will be a bit higher. If you normally pay in, it will be a bit less. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-expletive-why-did-my-income-tax-double/521684/13 "2009-12-19T00:35:30Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > _cough_ Alternative Minimum Tax _cough_ ☹ I’m not American and had to Google it, but that’s a fucked up system by the sounds of it.