RSUs, ESPP & Stock Options
“How do taxes work on my incentive stock options?”
Incentive stock options often create tax questions because the timing of the grant, exercise, and sale can each matter differently. The tax result typically depends on whether the shares are held after exercise, whether a sale is qualifying or disqualifying, and how the spread between the exercise price and market value is treated in the year of exercise or sale. Recordkeeping also matters, since payroll reporting, brokerage statements, and any alternative minimum tax considerations can affect how the transaction is reflected on a return. 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 tax rules apply to my ISOs?”
“I'm confused about the taxes on my incentive stock options?”
“How do I report my ISO taxes?”
“I don't understand the tax treatment of my ISOs?”
“My RSUs vested and my paycheck looks off, did I already pay the tax?”
“My stock options 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.
Back to the full library