Richard Friedman
Your company is no longer granting you stock options, or at least fewer than before. Instead, you're receiving restricted stock or restricted stock units. While these grants don't carry the same upside as stock options, they have benefits you will surely appreciate once you understand the special features of these grants.
Bruce Brumberg
Restricted stock or restricted stock units (RSUs) bring their own special issues to your tax return, and they can be more complicated than you think. Avoid pitfalls with reporting any shares sold for withholding, your income at vesting, any dividend income, your capital gains at sale, and more.
Stanley Trotta with Robert Gordon
President Obama's tax proposals seem likely to raise rates after 2010. Should you take action with stock compensation now or wait until new rates apply? Part 2 looks at restricted stock and restricted stock units.
Richard Friedman
Understand financial planning for restricted stock and RSUs. Part 1 discusses the growing popularity of these grants, their special features, and the related tax planning.
Richard Friedman
Careful planning can help you maximize the value of restricted stock and RSUs by preparing you for decisions you must make. Part 2 covers complex issues in financial, estate, and retirement planning.
Alan B. Ungar
In a growing trend, your company may let you choose between stock options and restricted stock. Which is better for you? Learn techniques to analyze your financial situation and goals so that you can make the right choice.
Alan B. Ungar
As noted in Part 1, many companies are developing employee-choice programs that allow you to choose between stock options and restricted stock. Part 2 provides a method of analysis to help your decision-making.
The myStockOptions.com Tax Team
UPDATED FOR 2010! Learn how to report your sales of company stock on Schedule D of IRS Form 1040. Our comprehensive guide to Schedule D reporting covers sales of stock from nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, employee stock purchase plans, and stock appreciation rights.
Tom Davison
Thanks to the IRS, with restricted stock you have to make decisions immediately at grant. Learn the rules that accompany this increasingly popular type of equity compensation.
Bruce Brumberg and Kate Victory
Along with stock options, your company has awarded you restricted stock. Restricted stock grants carry their own requirements and tax rules, which can significantly differ from those of stock options.
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For restricted stock, you can make what the tax code calls a Section 83(b) election to be taxed immediately at grant instead of later at vesting, when your stock price, and thus your tax rate, may be much higher. However, before you make your decision, realize that...
A casualty or theft loss would allow you to deduct the lost amount against your ordinary income, subject to some limits. However, Treasury regulations and court rulings would probably stand in your way. Nevertheless, what you can do is...
The IRS can seize your stock options if it applies a federal tax lien to you for unpaid taxes. After seizing your stock options, the IRS can also...
Let's first review the tax rules and the W-2 reporting. The tax basis for...
The value at vesting is all ordinary income. You have capital gain only for the increase in the stock price after vesting. Only this gain at sale can be...
Restricted stock shares are issued up front at grant, but you do not own them outright and cannot sell or transfer the shares until the time-based restrictions lapse. With standard restricted stock units the situation is basically similar, while with performance shares your company sets goals that must be met, such as...
Generally, yes, with two exceptions. First, with RSUs you cannot...
Stock-based performance plans have targets that, when reached by the end of the measurement period, trigger vesting or payout according to the structure of the plan. Data from varoius surveys show that the most common metrics are...
Restricted stock refers to outright grants of company stock to employees or other service providers. It is "restricted" because...
The timing of taxation is different than that of stock options. You pay tax at the time the restrictions on the stock lapse. This occurs when...
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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.
