Year-end tax planning for stock compensation
Most equity tax levers close on December 31. Q4 is when the planning actually happens.
Know your income first
Total salary, bonus, vested RSUs and realised gains to date. Everything else — exercise sizing, loss harvesting, charitable gifts — depends on that base figure.
The main levers
Exercise ISOs up to the AMT crossover, harvest losses against realised gains, defer a bonus or accelerate a deduction, and consider donating appreciated shares instead of cash.
Two-year thinking
Compare this year to next. If next year brings an IPO, a promotion or a move to a no-income-tax state, shifting income across the boundary can be worth more than any single deduction.
Educational content, not tax advice. Your outcome depends on your grant documents, income and state. Equity Tax Engine models your actual position — join the waitlist.