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Add a bonus to your paycheck income

“How do I add a work bonus to my income?”

How-to
3 min
Verified · Sep 24, 2026

You can add a bonus to any Employee (W-2) income source on its Bonus tab. Enter it as a percentage of your salary or a fixed amount, pick how often it's paid, and choose whether it counts toward your totals.

Before you start

The bonus belongs to a W-2 income source. Add one first — see Add an income source.

Steps

  1. Go to Income (opens in a new tab) and open your W-2 income source.
  2. Open the Bonus tab and click Add Bonus.
  3. Under Type, choose Percentage of Base Salary or Fixed Amount, then enter the Percentage or Amount.
  4. Pick a Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Annually, or Annual.
  5. Turn on Guaranteed if the bonus is certain. Leave it off for a performance bonus.
  6. Turn on Count toward totals if you want the bonus included in your income and take-home pay. A Guaranteed bonus always counts, so this switch is locked on while Guaranteed is on.
  7. Click Save (or Add for a new income source).

How it works

  • Yearly amount. A percentage bonus is that percent of your yearly base salary. A fixed bonus is multiplied by how often it's paid — 12 for Monthly, 4 for Quarterly, 2 for Bi-Annually, 1 for Annual.
  • Take-home. When Count toward totals is on, the bonus is added to your gross pay and taxed along with the rest of your paycheck, so it raises your take-home estimate everywhere — the Income page, dashboard, cash flow, bills and Beth all count it.
  • Labels. A bonus that isn't marked Guaranteed shows a Performance badge on the income card.

Good to know

  • Only one bonus can be added per income source.
  • The Bonus tab is only offered on Employee (W-2) income.
  • Take-home is an estimate from the numbers you enter. Actual bonus withholding on your pay stub may differ.

FAQ

Can I add a bonus to 1099 or self-employment income? No. The Bonus tab is only on Employee (W-2) income. For other income, you can include expected extra pay in the amount you enter.

What does Count toward totals do? When it's on, the bonus is added to your gross and take-home pay. When it's off, the bonus is saved but left out of your totals.

FAQ

Can I add a bonus to 1099 or self-employment income?

No. The Bonus tab is only on Employee (W-2) income. For other income, you can include expected extra pay in the amount you enter.

What does Count toward totals do?

When it's on, the bonus is added to your gross and take-home pay. When it's off, the bonus is saved but left out of your totals.

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Beyond Payday is a planning tool, not a financial advisor. Help articles are educational — projections and examples are estimates based on the numbers you enter, not financial, tax, or investment advice.