[CurlyDave]

...Why just 2018? Bonuses are taxed at a much higher rate than regular pay. Somewhere between 30 and 40%. There is no justification for that. It is truly theft.

This is just plain not true.

There is no special line on the 1040 form for bonuses. They are taxed as ordinary income.

Now, because they are in addition to regular income, they are taxed at your marginal rate, which is higher than you average rate, but there is no special treatment of bonuses.

[crusty old prospector]

Either way, if a high-wage earner earns a bonus, he will donate 40% to the government. The same for restricted stock that vests. If it quacks like a duck, it is still a duck.