"Goldman Sachs Timing Bonuses For U.K. Workers"

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

NPR's business news begins with an artful dodge.

Goldman Sachs is reportedly planning to hold back paying bonuses to its employees in the U.K. That's according to the Financial Times, which reports the bank is looking at waiting until the top British tax rate falls by 5 percent in April before paying out the bonuses that would otherwise pay now.

This move is not unlike what the investment bank just did in the United States. In December, Goldman paid $65 million in bonuses to its top American-based executives immediately before the tax rate rose for high income earners, as part of Washington's fiscal cliff deal.