I don't know why people are so obsessed with getting off reserve. Senior reserve has been the best QOL boost for me versus holding a line. Who wants to pick up OT when you just finished a 3 or 4 day trip?? I'm home 14-16 days a month crediting about 105+ each month flying maybe 30-40 hours a month. Take home is just north of three grand. I also put 12% in 401k. I'm looking at 14k YTD with another check coming in a few days that will likely get me to 17k the first three months. Next month I made even more than the previous few months.

I'm making so much this way with a good QOL I'm seriously considering passing up an upgrade class or two.

I plan on making $50k first year at RAH without including the bonus. I live in base and bid reserve. I maybe get used once or twice a week. I pick up day trips whenever I can. I haven't had an overnight in almost 2 months. It helps we are "fat" on pilots right now so reserve pilots aren't getting used much.

I'm sure most regional reserves would laugh at this post. Especially the part about passing up an upgrade class... The reason is that most regionals actually use their reserves for their intended purpose. There's only a few reserves, most have lines. If you're on reserve you will be used and abused. My regional basically has no reserve work rules, mostly because you won't be for long. Dont know why Envoy prefers pilots on 2 year reserve rather than giving them lines.

It is not unheard of to pass up an upgrade class or two to avoid CA reserve or get a certain type of equipment.

The FO reserve list is twice as long as the CA reserve list. We have a high number of FOs passing up upgrade classes for better QOL without much of a pay bump. The only significant pay bump comes when you pick up OT/JM.

Back on track for the original topic my 1900$ bonus check just cleared the bank.

Don't count on bonuses, they aren't permanent until they roll them into hourly rate (which in my opinion won't happen but that's me)

Has anyone had this happen to them yet?

I just did. $2850 tax rebate just hit the bank this week, largely thanks to over-withholding of bonuses last year. That's over 5x what my usual rebate is.

They'll keep them around as long as they feel they will aid in filling classes with new-hires. Take a look at the new-hire pay landscape over the last year in the regional airline sector. Through the roof over what it was for many years. Both in rates and bonuses at many carriers. Supply and demand rules are driving the price of pilot labor up. My W2 was proof of that.

No. Your tax is not withheld based on what your income "looks like". Doesn't matter whether you make $10K per month, or $100K in January and $20K in December, you will be taxed on $120K.

Your taxes withheld go up commensurate with your income, when it passes a tax margin. They are not withheld based on a projection.

No, no one has ever paid taxes based on projected income. That's not how the US tax system works.