Ryan Harvey and Bryan Smith
As private companies prepare for their market debuts, they make changes in their equity compensation programs. This article looks at some of the shifts you can expect in your stock grants both during the period leading up to your IPO and after your company goes public.
Bruce Brumberg
NEW! The biggest surprise for employees with stock options at pre-IPO companies is often the amount of taxes they need to pay when their company goes public or is acquired. When they exercise their options after the IPO or as part of the acquisition, selling the stock at the same time, a large chunk of their proceeds goes to pay federal and state taxes. This article looks at ways to reduce this tax burden.
Edwin L. Miller, Jr.
Understand what could happen to your stock options or restricted stock in venture capital financings, in an acquisition, or in an IPO. Part 1 looks at M&A deals; Part 2 analyzes IPOs.
Edwin L. Miller, Jr.
Stock options and restricted stock in pre-IPO companies can create substantial wealth, but you need to understand what might happen to your stock grants in venture capital financings, in an acquisition, or in an initial public offering. While Part 1 looks at venture financings and M&A deals, Part 2 analyzes IPOs.
David Cowles
Deciding whether to exercise now or later has always been difficult. It has become even more confusing with a twist at pre-IPO companies that allows you to exercise options immediately upon grant.
Alisa J. Baker
Part 1 looked at the problems of conflicting or inconsistent provisions among different documents. Part 2 discusses which existing documents and rules nonfounder executives must consider when negotiating for equity compensation during the early (pre-public) stages of a company's development and growth.
myStockOptions.com Editorial Staff & Contributors
UPDATED! Finding legal techniques to minimize taxes is almost as popular in the US as stock compensation. These sophisticated techniques with founder's stock and options can defer or reduce taxes.
Joanna Glasner and Bruce Brumberg
Don't be discouraged by stock market volatility and underwater stock options. As the experts note, stock grants are tools for building wealth in the long term.
David Cowles
Early-exercise options are associated with risks and tax complexities. These issues, however, should not scare you from taking advantage of them when you know how to maximize their value.
Michael Frank
The IRS has issued final regulations on ISOs. Understand how these final regulations increase the risks of early exercise.
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Typically, only for-profit corporations are eligible to offer stock options and other stock grants...
Don't confuse restricted securities and restricted stock. They are very different...
If your employer is a for-profit corporation, it probably can offer stock options, restricted stock, or other types of equity compensation to its employees. There may, however, be many reasons why your employer is not offering stock grants...
Stock in privately held companies lacks liquidity, is not registered with the SEC, and usually has company-imposed contractual resale limits, so resales are difficult and need to follow the requirements of SEC Rule 144. Some private companies allow resales of stock by...
This is done mostly by startup and private companies. Early-exercise stock options allow you to exercise when the stock price is low and then start your capital gains holding period. The risk is that...
Different methods can be used. The valuation of options and stock issued by private companies is more art than science. At least in the context of valuations for estate and gift tax purposes, the IRS has admitted...
A repurchase right is a company's contractual right to buy from an employee any stock resulting from the exercise of a stock option or other stock grant. The repurchase right can be exercised by your company even if...
While it is hard to find data, we have located a few sources. The data and examples from the surveys summarized here show that...
Unlike public companies or large private companies that may have grant guidelines, most private companies determine the grant size by a combination of factors. Surveys show that...
Early exercise gives employees who can pay the exercise price the opportunity to start their capital gains holding period early. If your plan permits this strategy, it makes sense in certain situations, such as...
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Tax errors can be costly! Don't draw unwanted attention from the IRS. Our Tax Center explains and illustrates the tax rules for sales of company stock, W-2s, withholding, estimated taxes, AMT, and more.
Your Company Goes Public: How Your Stock Compensation May Change 
