This is financially the best decision because you can invest the money each check... if you actually do that. If you are the type of person who looks at their bank before deciding they can go out that week to dinner, or get fast food on a whim and never seem to really be saving money, it is kind of a forced savings account that you can't touch. It's not just a 0% loan you gave to the government, if you save the money you would have spent otherwise that's your interest. Me personally 50$ a paycheck missing isn't hurting, it forces me to tighten my belt. What I do enjoy is getting 2300 lump sum. I'd of spent it on other things throughout the year, but now I can buy bigger things like a vacation.