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#capital-gains

Capital Gains

Track and report capital gains from investments

RSUs Explained for Startup Employees: Why Vesting, Not Selling, Is the Tax Event

RSUs are taxed as ordinary income on the vesting date, not at sale, and employers withhold a flat 22% on supplemental wages up to $1 million — leaving employees in the 32–37% brackets short by 10 to 15 percentage points each April. This guide covers double-trigger vesting at private startups, why no 83(b) election exists for RSUs, and the $0 cost-basis error on Form 1099-B that makes people pay tax twice on the same income.

Stock Sale vs. Asset Sale: A Small Business Seller's Guide to the Tax and Liability Trade-Offs

In a stock sale the seller reports one capital gain and the buyer inherits every liability; in an asset sale the price is allocated across seven Form 8594 classes, so depreciation recapture, inventory, and C corporation double taxation convert much of the gain to ordinary income. Here is how each structure taxes the seller, what the 338(h)(10) election and personal-goodwill carve-out change, and which liabilities follow you past closing.