Yes, employees are subject to taxation on bonuses as they are considered taxable income. There's no legal means to provide bonuses to employees without imposing taxes on them. When unpacking why bonuses are taxed higher than regular income, the key lies in the additional income to an individual's salary or wages.
Bonuses are additional incentives offered to employees on top of their regular salary, often aimed at increasing productivity and enhancing employee retention. Most bonuses can be categorized as either discretionary (not guaranteed) or nondiscretionary (guaranteed, as shown in your employment contract).
The average Captain base salary at Palm Beach County Fire Rescue is $100K per year.
Executives receive higher bonuses that can multiply based on performance, while most employees earn bonuses equal to 1% to 5% of their overall salary.
For example, if you plan to issue a 5 percent bonus at the end of the quarter, accrue 5 percent of your total salary expense during each month's closing cycle. Post a debit to your employee bonuses account for the total amount of the accrual, followed by a credit to the bonus accrual account.
When a bonus is grated to the CEO or any other employee at a company, the company must record an accrued bonus liability. The company would debit bonus expense and credit accrued bonus (liability).
Organizations may grant goal-based bonuses on a regular basis, such as bi-annually or annually, and use them to incentivize employees to perform well and hit their goals. Example: Employees may receive a goal-based bonus after completing a project or reaching their quota within a set timeline, such as a quarter.
The typical bonus amount can range from 1% to 15% of an employee's salary, usually depending on a number of factors such as industry, company performance, and individual or team accomplishments. The average bonus for employees continues to rise over time. In 2020, the average employee bonus was only 8.1%.