Equity Compensation (RSUs & ESPPs)
83(b) Elections for Startup Equity: What to Know
An 83(b) election has a hard 30-day deadline with zero exceptions — miss it on early-stage equity and a near-$0 tax bill today can become thousands owed later.
Concentration Risk: When Equity Comp Meets H1B
One employer can control an H1B holder's paycheck, net worth, and visa sponsorship at once — here's why that changes how much RSU stock is too much to hold.
ESPP Qualifying vs. Disqualifying Dispositions
Selling ESPP shares too soon taxes your whole discount as ordinary income instead of capital gains — see the two holding periods and what a wrong sale can cost.
Why Your RSU Tax Withholding Falls Short
Employers withhold RSU vests at a flat 22% federal rate, but most H1B tech earners owe 32-37% — see how a $50,000 vest can leave a $4,950 gap due at tax time.
How RSUs Are Taxed: A Guide for H1B and GC Holders
RSUs are taxed as ordinary income the moment they vest, not when granted or sold — see how a $60,000 vest can push an H1B salary into a higher bracket.
What Happens to RSUs and ESPPs If You're Laid Off
Unvested RSUs are almost always forfeited the day your employment ends — and on H1B, that clock runs alongside a 60-day USCIS grace period, not after it.