#equity
Understanding owner equity, retained earnings, and shareholders equity on the balance sheet
ASC 718 requires startups to recognize the grant-date fair value of equity awards as compensation expense over the vesting period, even when no cash changes hands. This guide covers measurement, recognition, forfeitures, modifications, disclosures, and the audit pitfalls that derail funding rounds.
A Section 83(b) election lets founders and early employees pay ordinary income tax on the grant-date value of restricted stock instead of on each vesting tranche, shifting future appreciation into long-term capital gains. The 30-day filing window is absolute and starts on the actual transfer date.
Incentive Stock Options and Non-Qualified Stock Options trigger taxes at different events and rates. This guide covers the AMT trap, qualifying vs. disqualifying dispositions, the $100,000 ISO vesting limit, and eight strategies tech workers use to lower the tax bill on equity compensation.
A practical guide to managing a startup cap table from incorporation to exit — covering SAFEs, priced rounds, option pool sizing, 409A valuations, vesting mechanics, dilution math, and the diligence-ready habits that prevent costly equity surprises.
Owner's equity is the most honest measure of your business's financial health—and most small business owners don't check it enough. Learn what it is, how to calculate it, what changes it, and how to use it to build long-term wealth.
Learn what equity means in accounting, how to calculate it using the accounting equation, understand the difference between owner's equity and shareholders' equity, what negative equity signals, and practical strategies to grow your business equity over time.
Learn what a statement of retained earnings is, how to prepare one step by step, understand the retained earnings formula, calculate the retention ratio, avoid common mistakes like confusing retained earnings with cash, and know what negative retained earnings mean for your business.
Learn what assets, liabilities, and equity are, how the accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity) works with real examples, types of each category, key financial ratios, and common mistakes to avoid.
Learn what retained earnings are, how to calculate them using the simple formula, real-world examples, what negative retained earnings mean, common mistakes to avoid, and how to use retained earnings strategically for business growth.
