RSUs, ESPP & Stock Options
“How are my RSUs, ESPP, and stock options taxed?”
RSUs, ESPP shares, and stock options are often taxed differently depending on the type of award, when the shares are granted, vested, purchased, or sold, and whether any shares are sold right away or held for a later gain or loss. With RSUs, income is commonly tied to vesting, while ESPP and stock option treatment can vary based on the plan design and the timing of a sale. Payroll withholding, W-2 reporting, and any capital gain or loss on sale are often part of the full picture, along with state tax treatment and company plan documents. Going through your records with a CPA usually surfaces the answer in under an hour.
In your 60-minute session, the KGOB advisor handling it will:
- Read your exact situation and tell you, in plain English, what’s actually going on.
- Lay out your options and the trade-offs — no jargon, no judgment.
- Give you a clear next step you can act on, whether that’s with us or on your own.
“What's the tax side of my RSUs, ESPP, and stock options?”
“How do taxes work for the equity compensation I have?”
“What tax rules apply to my RSUs, ESPP, and stock options?”
“Can you help me understand how my equity compensation gets taxed?”
“My RSUs vested and my paycheck looks off, did I already pay the tax?”
“My ESPP shares vested and my paycheck looks off, did I already pay the tax?”
This page is a prompt to start a conversation, not tax or legal advice, and states no tax-law specifics as fact. A consult session does not by itself create an ongoing engagement. We do not promise specific outcomes or savings. Kohari Gonzalez Oneyear & Brown PLLC — Charlotte, NC.
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