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.
Once you reach the pivotal point in your career where several companies want you, employers will negotiate with you to entice you to join them. That's good, but you need to be prepared. This article explains what you should know and consider before you start any job negotiation involving equity compensation.
Podcast included! You may find a gap between what you expect from your equity compensation and what you receive. Often the problem stems from the complexity of the related documents and rules. Learn about them, and understand why you must focus on conflicting or inconsistent provisions.
Podcast included! 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.
Podcast included! Part 3 of this article series reviews the steps you must take to preserve your equity rights at or before the termination of your employment, and in any severance arrangement. The impact depends on your specific agreements, the company's overall plans and policies, and—in many cases—the reason for the termination.
No longer just a subject for philosophers and poets, the pursuit of happiness has become part of the holistic approach to workplace harmony and productivity sought by many companies and their employees. Stock compensation can improve happiness—and it's about more than just recognizing gains.
A down market provides ideal circumstances for negotiating a larger stake of equity compensation as part of your pay package. With companies looking to conserve cash and find effective ways to recruit, retain, and motivate executives and key employees, your interest in this type of compensation may be well received. This article explores the possibilities you may want to consider if this opportunity arises.
UPDATES! The days of pocketing stock grant gains, leaving the company, and moving to a direct competitor may be over. Your company may put noncompete forfeiture provisions in your equity awards.
Podcast included! Get a sense of what you should, and should not, expect in the terms of your stock option grant. A major survey of companies looks at trends in vesting schedules, post-termination exercise rules, and other plan features.
Employees in startup companies often have misconceptions about their stock options and restricted stock. 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.
How typical are your equity awards? Stock plan surveys let you compare the terms of your grants with the common practices of many companies. Part 1 focuses on types of equity award, reasons for making grants, vesting schedules, and option exercises.
How typical are your grants of stock options or restricted stock/RSUs? Stock plan surveys let you compare the terms of your grants with the common practices of many companies. Part 2 focuses on grant guidelines, option expiration, job termination, and corporate changes of control.
In most instances, stock grants are subject to the same types of practical limitations as negotiations for your cash compensation. For example, an employer may...
The likelihood depends mainly on your position, its salary grade, and/or your company's industry. Surveys of common practices among companies show that...
While it is too early to know exactly how stock grant practices may change because of impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, there are some lessons from what happened in past big market drops...
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...
If a company makes a grant with a specific vesting schedule and the schedule is later shortened from its original terms, the accountants will usually...
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.
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