I was mildly upset I got $1000 as a bonus instead of a pay income because I thought that bonuses were “taxed at a higher rate” when instead they are simply “withheld at a higher rate” and it all washes out in the end when you pay your taxes at the end of the year.

I do wish I had a way to opt out of any withholding for bonus pay, I'd rather have the money now and risk having to pay a bit when I file taxes vs not having the money and getting a refund a year later when it's worth less.