Antonella Works for a Company That Pays a Year-End Bonus

Essay

Antonella works for a company that pays a year-end bonus in December of each year. Assume that Antonella expects to receive a $20,000 bonus in December this year, her tax rate is 30%, and her after-tax rate of return is 8%. If Antonella's employer paid her bonus on January 1 of next year instead of in December, how much would this action save Antonella in today's tax dollars? If Antonella's tax rate increased to 32% next year, would receiving the bonus in January still be advantageous?