Comment by alias_neo

That sounds extraordinarily linient of them, but I suspect as you say, it's political.

I take it you lost your allowance for the rest of the year due to the bonus?

Luckily for me the childcare tax people contacted me about it the first time it could have become an issue because I received a bonus at the start of a tax year, so I adjusted my pension contributions for the rest of the year lowering my take home. By this point though I'd already been taxed that marginal 60% thanks to the bonus being paid to me, like yourself without being notified.