Free tool — no sign-up required
What do all my equity events mean for taxes this year?
RSU vests, ISO exercises, NQSO exercises, stock sales, K-1 income — each one creates tax exposure that your CPA and your financial advisor may be seeing in isolation. This tool puts them in one place, shows the combined picture, and surfaces what needs to happen before December 31.
2026 estimates · Federal + California · Not tax advice
Equity event tax planner
All your equity events. One combined picture.
Add RSU vests, ISO exercises, NQSO exercises, stock sales, and K-1 income. See the combined tax exposure across all events and a list of actions to take before December 31.
Step 1 — Your tax profile
Step 2 — Your equity events
No events added yet
Add your RSU vests, option exercises, stock sales, and K-1 income to see the combined picture.
Estimates only. Tax outcomes depend on your full income picture, deductions, and applicable elections. AMT calculations are simplified — actual AMT accounts for exemptions, phase-outs, and prior-year AMT credits. State tax shown as a flat rate. Does not model QSBS, Section 83(b) elections, or other elective treatments. Coordinate with your CPA before year-end. See full disclaimer.
Common questions
Are RSUs taxed as ordinary income?
Yes. When RSUs vest, the fair market value of the shares on the vest date is taxed as ordinary income — the same rate as your salary. Federal withholding on RSUs is typically 22%, but if you're in the 35% or 37% bracket, you owe the difference and should make a supplemental estimated payment.
What's the difference between ISOs and NQSOs for taxes?
ISOs (Incentive Stock Options) have no regular income tax at exercise — but the spread (FMV minus strike price) is an AMT preference item and may trigger Alternative Minimum Tax. NQSOs (Non-Qualified Stock Options) create ordinary income equal to the spread at exercise, regardless of when you sell the shares. For high earners, the AMT exposure from ISOs requires careful planning before year-end.
How does concentrated stock affect my taxes?
Selling a concentrated position in a single stock creates capital gain — taxed at 20% federal plus 3.8% NIIT plus state. In California, that's up to 37.1% combined. Strategies to manage this include staged sales across multiple years, charitable vehicles like donor-advised funds, or exchange funds — all of which require coordination between your CPA and advisor.
When should I adjust my quarterly estimated payments for equity events?
Any time you have a large equity event — RSU vest, option exercise, or stock sale — that wasn't included in your original quarterly estimate. The safest approach: after each significant event, recalculate your year-to-date income and true-up with the next quarterly payment. The penalty for underpayment is modest, but a large April surprise is avoidable.
Also read
RSU Tax Treatment: What You Owe When Shares Vest
RSUs create ordinary income at vesting — not capital gain. The 22% supplemental withholding rate leaves most high earners short. Here's how the math works and what to do about it.
Read Tax planningAlternative Minimum Tax (AMT): When Business Owners and Option Holders Get Caught
The AMT is a parallel tax system with different rules. Business owners encounter it through ISO stock option exercises, depreciation preferences, and high income. The ISO AMT trap, how the AMT credit works, and why you need to model it before year-end.
Read Tax planningThe RSU & Stock Option Tax Coordination Guide
RSUs, ISOs, NQSOs, K-1s, concentrated positions — when your tax situation crosses seven documents, you need a CPA and advisor working from the same picture. Here's how to start.
ReadCoordinate the plan
Ready to coordinate your equity picture?
Matt Reese, CPA works directly with your financial advisor to coordinate RSU vesting events, ISO exercises, estimated payments, and holding decisions — so nothing falls through the gap between two separate conversations.