Which of the following is NOT a component that affects the amount of FICA tax withheld?

The correct choice reflects that annual bonuses do not directly affect the amount of FICA tax withheld in the same way that other factors do. FICA tax, which includes Social Security and Medicare taxes, is calculated based on the gross wages an employee earns during a pay period.

Factors like employee personal allowances, pay periods, and regular wages are all components that influence how much tax is withheld. Personal allowances can impact the withholding calculations but not the FICA rate itself, while the employee's pay period determines how salary is aggregated for tax purposes. Regular wages are the base for FICA calculations, as these taxes are assessed on earnings.

In contrast, annual bonuses can be viewed as additional earnings that may be subject to the same tax rates as wages. However, they do not impact the overall calculation of FICA tax withheld as they are treated separately for payroll tax purposes. This separation means that while bonuses are taxed, they do not affect the core components upon which the FICA tax structure is built. Thus, identifying annual bonuses as not affecting FICA withholdings aligns with the understanding of the components influencing FICA calculations.