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Restricted Stock: Taxes


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Articles   (Jump to FAQs)

Decisions At Grant With Restricted Stock (Part 1): Tax Fundamentals  This is premium content

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.

Restricted Stock Taxation: What You Need To Know (Part 2)  This is premium content

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.

Decisions At Vesting With Restricted Stock (Part 1): Withholding  This is premium content

Tom Davison
Vesting is a crucial moment for making decisions about your restricted stock. This article series examines your alternatives. Part 1 discusses withholding.

Stock Options Versus Restricted Shares: A Case Of Risk Versus Reward

Sandra Block
USA Today, 7/14/03
Know how restricted stock and options differ, including in tax rules.

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FAQs   (Jump to articles)

Does this website's content on restricted stock also apply to restricted stock units (RSUs)? 

Generally, yes, with two exceptions. First, with RSUs you cannot...

How is a grant of restricted stock taxed? 

The tax treatment is different than that of stock options. You pay tax at the time the restrictions on the stock lapse. The tax is based on the value of the shares at...

W-2 diagram! What is included in my W-2 in connection with a restricted stock grant?  This is premium content

Restricted stock results in ordinary income to you. This occurs either at the time...

W-2 diagram! What will appear on my W-2 in connection with a grant of restricted stock units?  This is premium content

Restricted stock units result in ordinary income to you. This occurs when...

Are the tax rules for restricted stock different if I am an independent contractor, a consultant, or an outside director and not an employee?  This is premium content

In some ways they are similar. The tax treatment of restricted stock is the same for everyone. The reporting and withholding income is different. If you are an employee...

I keep hearing the term "substantial risk of forfeiture." What does it mean, and how does it affect when I am taxed on my restricted stock?  This is premium content

This tax term applies when rights to compensation are conditioned upon future performance of services or the occurrence of...

Can I control when I will be taxed on a restricted stock grant?  This is premium content

Not as you can with stock options. With stock options, tax consequences occur when...

How and when are taxes withheld from my restricted stock?  This is premium content

Restricted stock withholding is similar to withholding for most other forms of supplemental compensation. You can have different choices for paying taxes, or your company may automatically...

Is the value of my restricted stock at vesting subject to state and local taxes? What if I move?  This is premium content

Many states, counties, and cities impose income tax on their residents. Those that do have income tax almost always...

When my restricted stock vests, how does my company choose the stock price for calculating my W-2 reporting and my share withholding?  This is premium content

This depends on how your stock plan defines fair market value (FMV). Some companies may use the closing price on the vesting day, which...

How are the dividends on restricted stock taxed and reported to me?  This is premium content

Dividends that are earned on restricted stock are considered compensation income, which is reported on your W-2...

When does my capital gains holding period begin for grants of restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs)?  This is premium content

For restricted stock, it begins on the day after vesting, unless...

What long-term capital gains rate applies to sales proceeds from restricted stock granted or vested before May 6, 2003, when the capital gains rate fell to 15%?  This is premium content

The holding period for capital gains and the date of your sale, not the grant or vesting date of the restricted stock, are what matter. The tax on the capital gains is...

My company will let me exchange my underwater options for restricted stock. What is the tax impact?  This is premium content

An option-for-option exchange is not taxable. But when you exchange underwater options for restricted stock...

Is my spouse entitled to part of my stock options and other stock grants upon our divorce? 

While there are some general trends, the treatment of stock options and other stock grants in divorce is far from similar in all states. In general, the outcome depends on four factors...

Who pays taxes when restricted stock or vested company shares are transferred in a divorce settlement? How is restricted stock handled in divorce?  This is premium content

The basic principles that apply to options transferred in a divorce settlement also should apply to the transfer of restricted stock...

If I die, the vesting of my restricted stock will accelerate. How would this be taxed as part of my estate?  This is premium content

Typically, all or a pro rata portion of any restricted stock vests at death. The value of restricted stock that vests and is payable at your death will...

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Annotated diagram of Schedule DTax 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.

Featured FAQs
NEW! What is the tax treatment of my restricted stock in an acquisition? This is premium content
This depends on how restricted stock (or restricted stock units) is treated in the acquisition...
NEW! Will my income from restricted stock vesting be netted against my short-term capital losses from this year (or those that were carried forward from last year)? This is premium content
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...
W-2 diagram! What will appear on my W-2 in connection with a grant of performance shares? This is premium content
Performance shares result in ordinary income to you. This occurs when the grant vests after specified targets are reached and shares are then either delivered or paid out to you (depending on the structure of the grant). Your compensation is...