Bonus

In recruiter context

Two species, and the difference matters. Discretionary bonuses can be cut to zero in a bad year and are common in commercial roles; contractual bonuses (with formula and triggers in writing) are harder for the employer to dodge. UK bonuses are taxed at your marginal rate plus NI in the month they're paid, which is why a £10k bonus often arrives looking like £5,500 once HMRC has had its share. That's not an error — your payslip software is averaging the tax over the year, and it'll level out. Don't count on a discretionary bonus when planning a mortgage.