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What is an RSU? | Restricted Stock Units, RSUs and Stock Options 10.16.2023

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Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) can be a significant component of an employee’s compensation package. But what is an RSU package? Do you have an RSU strategy? How are RSUS taxed? When are RSUS taxed? How should you consider RSUs taxation? What are stock options, and why do employers offer RSUs vs stock options? How do you plan most effectively when your RSUs vest? Net worth means what in regards to an RSU selling strategy?

The 411 on Restricted Stock Units (RSU) tackles these questions and more. What is an RSU? | Restricted Stock Units, RSUs and Stock Options

What is an RSU?
RSU vs Stock Options – What are stock options?
What Is the Taxation of Restricted Stock Units?
RSU Strategy
How Can I Most Effectively Plan
How can we help
Learn more

What is an RSU?

RSUs, also commonly known as restricted stock units, or restricted stock shares, are a form of stock based compensation whereby an employee receives rights to shares of stock in a company that are subject to certain restrictions. These units do not represent actual ownership or equity interest in the company and as such hold no dividend or voting rights. (1) However, once the restriction is lifted, the units are converted to actual company shares and an employee owns the  shares outright (same as traditional stock ownership).  Learn more about RSU tax selling strategy.

The lifting of restriction on the units is generally based on a vesting schedule. Most vesting schedules will fall into one of two categories:

  • Time-based: based on the period of employment. Common time-based vesting schedules are between three to five years and are either pro-rata or “cliff” based. For a “cliff” based schedule, all shares vest fully at the end of the schedule.       
  • Performance-based: based on the company achieving a performance goal. Common performance-based vesting schedules are based on a company achieving a particular stock price or a return on equity, or earnings per share.    

    *There is a hybrid-approach between time-based and performance-based known as time-accelerated. Vesting is on a time-based schedule but may be accelerated by the company achieving a performance-based goal.  

RSUs vs stock options | How Are RSUs Different Than Vested Stock Options?

When most people think of stock based compensation, vested stock options, or the right to buy a company’s stock at some future date at a price established now (the strike price), are typically what first comes to mind.  

Historically, vested stock options have been the most popular form of stock based compensation. And up until 2004, stock options merited favorable accounting treatment as a company could avoid recognizing compensation expense by issuing the options.  

In 2004, this loophole was eliminated and subsequently RSUs/restricted stock shares, aka units, emerged as the preferred form of equity compensation.  

RSUs and stock options have some notable differences:

Net Worth Means
Rsus vs stock options | This table lists three areas of difference between rsus and stock options: risk, term, and taxation.

Two scenarios illustrate RSUs vs stock options:

Scenario 1: An employee is granted 1000 RSUs when the market price of the company’s stock is $10. When the RSUs vest, the stock price has fallen to $8. The shares are still worth $8,000 to the employee.  

Scenario 2: An employee is granted 1000 stock options with a strike price of $10. During the window to exercise these vested options, the market price of the stock is always below $10. These options will expire worthless to the employee.  

*There are many other forms of nontraditional compensation, such as Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs), Phantom Stock, and Profit Interests. None of these are as widely used as RSU and Stock Options and are not a focus here.

What Is the Taxation of Restricted Stock Units?

RSUs taxation is based upon delivery of the shares, and taxes must be paid upon vesting (i.e., when the restriction has been lifted).     

The shares’ fair market value is included in an employee’s taxable income as compensation at the time of delivery. The taxation of restricted stock units is identical to normal wage income and as such, is included on an employee’s W-2. (3)    

Taxation of Restricted Stock Units and RSU vs stock options
Taxation of restricted stock units. It’s important to have an RSU tax strategy and know if you will need to sell to cover tax

The shares are subject to federal and employment tax (Social Security and Medicare) and state and local tax as well.     

Companies provide employees with either one uniform withholding method or several options to pay the taxes on their restricted stock units. They may offer:

  • Net-settlement: a company “holds back” shares to cover RSU taxes and then the company pays the tax from its own cash reserve. This is the most common practice.      
  • Pay cash: an employee receives all shares and covers the RSU taxes out of their own pocket. This is a riskier strategy than net-settlement, as it results simultaneously in a more concentrated equity allocation and lower cash balance (less money to pay the taxes).
  • Sell to cover: an employee sells the shares needed to cover the income tax burden on their own. This method provides no real advantage over net-settlement and places the additional burden of selling the shares on the employee.   

When an employee ultimately sells their vested shares, hopefully based on their well-constructed RSU selling strategy, they will pay capital gains tax on any appreciation over the market price of the shares on the vesting date. The sales proceeds will be taxed at the more favorable long-term capital gains rate if the shares are held longer than one year after vesting. (4)

What is an RSU? | Restricted Stock Units Stock Options | rsu taxed
An example timeline of an RSU strategy shows hypothetical stock price at vesting

Taxation of Restricted Stock Units Example:

Here’s an example of an RSU selling strategy: An employee is granted 750 RSUs on January 1, 2018. The market price of the stock at the time of grant is $10 and the RSUs vest pro-rata over three years: 

Taxation of Restricted Stock Units : RSU strategy and RSU taxed

RSUs and Stock Options
Taxation of Restricted Stock Units – RSU stock prices may go up or down. This is hypothetical.

Each increment is taxable on its vesting date as ordinary income. The total ordinary income paid over the three years is $11,500.

The employee then sells all 750 shares of stock three years after the last shares vest.

Taxation of Restricted Stock Units is dependent on price and timing of sale

The employee held each share of his RSU stock options for more than one year, so the gain is treated as long-term. The employee’s long-term capital gain is $11,000 ($22,500 less $11,500) to be reported on Schedule D of their U.S. individual tax return.

RSU Strategy | What Are the Risks of Holding RSUs?

Utilized correctly, restricted stock units/restricted stock shares can be a wonderful complement to a traditional compensation package and can contribute substantially to an employee’s net worth. (5) This can be, however, a double-edged sword.

The overlying risk is that an employee can have too much of their net worth concentrated in one individual stock and one individual company.

Restricted Stock Units | RSU strategy
RSU strategy and RSU taxed – You can have too much vested interest in one company with restricted stock units.

Let’s explore a scenario:

Jim has a net worth of $200,000, not including 2,000 shares of RSUs with his employer,  Snap Inc. On January 1, 2019, 100% of Jim’s 2,000 RSUs vest at $50 per share.

Great news! Jim’s net worth, on paper, has now increased by $100,000 overnight. Jim’s overall net worth is now $300,000. 

Jim decides to keep all his shares in Snap Inc. with the belief the stock price will continue to go up. 

He also sees his colleagues choosing to hold most of their shares, and fears that if Snap Inc.’s price soars, he will have missed out and his colleagues will all become wealthier than him. 

On July 1, 2019, Snap Inc. releases a weak earnings report and the share price drops to $20. Jim’s net worth is now $240,000, down 20% from January 1. 

Even worse, Jim paid taxes at his ordinary rate on the original share value of $100,000 when the shares are now only worth $40,000.

And finally, because Jim has a significant portion of his net worth in the company he works for, he faces an additional and potentially catastrophic risk. What if Snap Inc. runs into serious financial struggles and he loses his job? Not only will Jim’s net worth plunge from further declines in Snap Inc.’s share price, he also will now have lost his primary source of income.

You may see Jim as foolish, but his predicament is a common one. We often see employees dealing with the hesitation to sell the shares for reasons that can be more emotional than rational.

How Can I Most Effectively Plan for Restricted Stock Units, RSUs?

We recommend you discuss how to effectively plan for RSU shares with your financial advisor to ensure a decision is not made in a vacuum, but rather in the broader spectrum of your entire financial picture. Of course, we encourage collaboration with your tax advisor to determine the optimal strategy from a tax perspective as well.  

In reality, when RSUs vest, you may be better off by immediately (or over a short-term schedule) selling a sizeable portion of the vested units and using the proceeds to add to or build a diversified investment portfolio.    

Regardless, before you make any decisions, it can be helpful to explore the following questions:   

  • How much of your overall wealth is tied up in RSUs?  
  • Is your company growing quickly or slowly?   
  • What is your current tax situation? Is it better to wait more than one year after the shares vest to sell them to receive the more favorable long-term capital gains tax treatment?  
  • How long do you plan to be with the company?
  • What is your tolerance for risk?
  • If the market value of the stock was instead received in the form of a cash bonus, how much of this would you invest in the company stock?   

How can we help with your RSU and stock options?

While we at Towerpoint Wealth continue to believe in the importance of a diversified portfolio, we also understand every individual situation is unique, what growing net worth means to each individual is different, and understand emotions can play a significant albeit oftentimes problematic role in making sound financial decisions. This is especially the case for RSUs. If you would like to speak further about what is an RSU vs stock options, or need an RSU strategy (or have questions about any nontraditional compensation for that matter), I encourage you to call, 916-405-9166, or email Steve Pitchford (Certified Financial Planner) email spitchford@towerpointwealth.com.

Learn more about Maximize stock compensation and What are RSUs?

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(1)   While RSUs hold no automatic dividend rights, companies may choose to issue dividend equivalents. For example, when a company pays cash dividends to common stock holders, RSUs can be credited dividends for the same amount. These credits may ultimately be used to pay the taxes due when RSUs vest or can simply be paid out in cash.

(2) RSU strategy – Stock Options can either be Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) or Nonqualified Stock Options (NQOs). They are treated differently for tax purposes.  

(3) When received, dividend equivalents are subject to the same tax rules as RSUs.

(4) Important to note that the shares must be held more than one year for long-term capital gains treatment. If sold exactly one year from the vesting date, they will be taxed at the higher short-term capital gains. 

(5) Net worth means the total value of all of an individual’s assets less their liabilities.

Towerpoint Wealth, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This material is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Towerpoint Wealth, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Towerpoint Wealth, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.

What are RSUs taxation of restricted stock units explained
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How Restricted Stock Units Work | What are RSUs? | Video 04.08.2022

Restricted Stock Units | If you’re wondering how restricted stock units work, what is stock compensation, what are RSUs or what the taxation of restricted stock units looks like, we’re here to give you answers to your questions.

Restricted Stock Units, RSUs, are one type of stock compensation that companies can offer to their employees. This stock compensation allows your company to grant you shares, or RSUs. RSU compensation is different than the other common program many publicly traded companies offer to their employees, called an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). ESPPs afford you an opportunity to buy shares of the company you work for at a discounted price.

What are RSUs?
How restricted stock units work?
Taxation of restricted stock units
RSUS vs ESPPs

What are RSUs?

Restricted Stock Units are a way for an employer to compensate employees by granting them actual shares of company stock. The grant is “restricted” because it is subject to a vesting schedule. Therefore, the employee typically only receives the shares after the vesting date. Once the shares are delivered, the grant is considered compensation income and your taxable income is the market value of the shares. When you later sell the shares, you will also recognize income on any appreciation over and above the market price of the shares back on the vesting date. Your holding period will determine whether the gain is subject to short-term ordinary income rates, or lower long-term capital gains rates.

How restricted stock units work?

Vesting schedules are often time-based, requiring you to work at the company for a certain period before your RSUs begin to vest. A common schedule is a “graded” vesting schedule, which means the vesting of the grant occurs in several portions. Vesting schedules can also have “cliff” vesting, which means 100% of the RSU grant vests after you have completed a specific stated service period of say three or four years. And finally, the vesting schedule can also be performance-based, meaning tied to company-specific or stock-market targets.

Taxation of restricted stock units

With RSUs, you are only taxed when the shares are delivered, which is almost always at vesting. Your taxable income is the market value of the shares upon vesting. For the taxation of restricted stock units, the grant is considered compensation income, and is subject to mandatory federal, state, and local income and employment tax withholding. The most common practice of paying these taxes is by surrendering the necessary amount of newly delivered shares back to the company. This holds or “tenders” shares to cover your tax obligation. When you later sell the shares, you will also recognize income on any appreciation over and above the market price of the shares back on the vesting date. Your holding period will obviously determine whether the gain is subject to short-term ordinary income rates, or lower long-term capital gains rates. You’ve got to have a plan if you’re working on minimizing taxes.

RSUS vs ESPPs

While RSU’s may not be as complicated as ESPP plans, the tax planning for them is just as important. Understanding how restricted stock units work and the taxation of restricted stock units—including when your shares will vest—gives you the opportunity to plan in advance to ensure you can limit your overall tax liability.

Download Towerpoint Wealth white paper on RSUs and stock options

Learn more about Restricted Stock Units

Trending Today Tax-Saving Solutions For RMDs
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Tax Saving Solutions for Required Minimum Distributions 11.05.2021

How would you like to be FORCED to take extra, unwanted, and unnecessary taxable income that would ADD TO your taxable income for the year and potentially catapult yourself into a higher income tax bracket?

If you are 72 or older and own an IRA or tax-deferred retirement account and receive required minimum distributions (RMDs), this may be happening to you every single year. If you are not yet 72, take this as fair warning – you have time to plan and put some tax saving solutions in place!

Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento Financial Advisor near me | Money Bucket Tax Saving Solutions

Many individuals know well enough that RMD taxes are a “necessary evil” of contributing to, and investing in, retirement accounts such as 401(k)s, IRAs, 403(b)s, etc. However, what investors often fail to realize is that there are impactful and proactive tax planning strategies that can materially lessen the sting of these RMD taxes.

Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento Financial Advisor | Keep Your Money-Tax Saving Solutions Required Minimum Distributions

As discussed below, short of enacting a QCD every year for the full amount of your RMD (do the acronyms have your head spinning yet??!!), there is no way to outright avoid paying income taxes on your IRA and retirement account RMDs. However, at Towerpoint Wealth, we are proactive in working with our clients to reduce the pain associated with RMD taxes if and when possible, usually utilizing one or more of the following three planning opportunities, each of which can help:

Tax Saving Solutions

1. Accelerate IRA withdrawals

We get it, as this sounds counterintuitive. Take more money out to save on taxes?? The short answer – yes.

Subject to certain exceptions, age 59 ½ is the first year in which an individual is able to take a distribution from a qualified retirement plan without being subject to a 10% early withdrawal tax penalty.

Consequently, the window of time between age 59 ½ and age 72 becomes an important one for proactive RMD tax planning. By strategically taking distributions from pre-tax qualified retirement accounts between these ages, an individual may be able to lessen their overall lifetime tax liability by reducing future RMDs (and the risk that RMDs may push them into a higher tax bracket) by reducing the retirement account balance.

This strategy becomes particularly opportune for an individual that has retired before age 72, as it often affords the individual the ability to take these taxable distributions in a uniquely low income (and lower income tax) period of time.

2. Execute a Roth conversion

A Roth conversion is a retirement and tax planning strategy whereby an individual transfers, or “converts,” some or all of their pre-tax qualified retirement plan assets from a Traditional IRA into a tax-free Roth IRA.

While ordinary income taxes are owed on any amounts of tax-deferred contributions and earnings that are converted, a Roth conversion, when utilized properly, is a powerful tax planning strategy to reduce a future IRA RMD, and concurrently, RMD taxes, as Roth assets are not subject to required minimum distributions since they generate no tax revenue for the government. Further, Roth conversions also 1) maximize the tax-free growth within a taxpayer’s investment portfolio, 2) provide a hedge against possible future tax rate increase (as Roth retirement accounts are tax-free), and 3) leave a greater tax-free financial legacy to heirs.

Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento Financial Planner | Graph Tax Savings Solutions

3. Use the IRA RMD to make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)

When an individual becomes subject to an IRA RMD, in lieu of having the IRA distributions go to them, they may consider facilitating a direct transfer from their IRA to one, or more, 501(c)3 charitable organizations (up to $100K annually). This is known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD).

As long as these distributions are made directly to the charity, they 1) satisfy the RMD and 2) are excluded from taxable income.

This strategy, when executed property, results in a dollar-for-dollar income reduction compared to a “normal” RMD.

Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento Wealth Management | Charitable Giving Required Minimum Distributions

Fortunately or unfortunately, there is no magic bullet nor panacea when it comes to RMD taxes and the income tax obligation you will have when taking RMDs. However, we feel that you still have an obligation to be aware and/or mindful of the planning opportunities mentioned above, as potentially reducing your income tax liability is certainly better than paying “full boat” every year!

Video of the Week

As a follow up to the subject focus of our most recent 10.15.2021 Trending Today newsletter, click the thumbnail below to watch the educational video we just produced last week, featuring our President, Joseph Eschleman, as he discusses the THREE key ingredients that are crucial when working to successfully build and protect your wealth, and SEVEN specific long-term investing strategies and philosophies that need to be developed and internalized if you truly want to be a successful long-term investor.

What’s Happening at TPW?

We love and are proud of the work hard, play hard culture we have built here at Towerpoint Wealth, and in the spirit of that philosophy, the TPW family took a ½ day “Teambuilding Tuesday” earlier this week, enjoying lunch together at The Station Public House in Auburn, followed by fun and games (literally!) at Knee Deep Brewing Company!

Towerpoint Wealth Family Lori Steve Michelle
Towerpoint Wealth Family Michelle
Towerpoint Wealth Family

Our President, Joseph Eschleman, gave two (!) pints of A- last week, with a “Power Red” blood donation at the American Red Cross in Sacramento.

Graph of the Week

There are just under two months left in the year, and from strictly a seasonal perspective, November and December have historically been two of the better months on the calendar. The chart below shows the S&P 500’s performance during the last two months of the year in the post-WWII period. Overall, the median performance has been a gain of +3.72%, with positive returns just over three-quarters of the time (76.3%).

Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento Independent Financial Planner | Graph of the Week November 5, 2021

The S&P 500’s 22.6% gain this year is the strongest year-to-date reading through October since 2013. 2021 is just the tenth year since 1928 where the S&P 500 has been up more than 20% YTD through October. In the chart above we have highlighted each of those years in dark blue.

Quote of the Week

It is easy to be an investor when things are relatively “normal” and calm; it becomes much more difficult to be disciplined and stay objective when things get crazy…

Trending Today | Quote of the Week November 5, 2021

Trending Today

As the 24/7 news cycle churns, twists, and turns, a number of trending and notable events have occurred over the past few weeks:

As always, we sincerely value our relationships and partnerships with each of you, as well as your trust and confidence in us here at Towerpoint Wealth. We encourage you to reach out to us at any time (916-405-9140, info@towerpointwealth.com) with any questions, concerns, or needs you may have. The world continues to be an extremely unsettled and complicated place, and we are here to help you properly plan for and make sense of it.

Click here to Download

– Joseph, Jonathan, Steve, Lori, Nathan, and Michelle

Towerpoint Wealth Sacramento Independent Financial Advisor

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Federal Income Tax Increases Explained
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Will Your Portfolio Fall to Pieces Due to Federal Income Tax Increases? 10.01.2021

Lots of talk. Lots of posturing. Lots of sound bites. But not a lot of action (so far, at least). A familiar refrain? It is, when it comes to our elected officials in Washington D.C.

washington gridlock Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Summary

In today’s Trending Today newsletter, we are going to explore the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan details, and, perhaps most importantly to investors, the potential federal income tax increases that may occur if and when either, or both, of these massive bills become law.


Legislators are taking a two-step approach in their efforts to pass President Biden’s ambitious jobs and infrastructure program, some provisions being Republican-friendly, and some Democrat-friendly. This two-track plan to pass this legislation works as follows: Put the GOP-friendly items in a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that could pass on a bipartisan basis, and then put the rest in a much larger $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill that would attempt to pass on a party-line vote, via what is known as budget reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority to pass it.


The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, already passed the Senate by a vote of 69-30 on August 10. Many people have asked: “What is the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and what’s in it?” Focusing on the traditional definition of infrastructure, the bill focuses on roads, bridges, rail, and water. It is truly a monumental measure, with an equally monumental 13 digit price tag!

What’s in the bipartisan infrastructure bill?

what is the bipartisan infrastructure bill

However, the bipartisan infrastructure bill cannot become law until it also passes the House of Representatives, and that is where things begin to become tricky.

Nancy Pelosi Federal Income Tax Increases

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promised that the House would vote on the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill yesterday, but that vote was again delayed. The problem? Pelosi faces pressure from progressive Democrats, who say they will not support the “skinny” $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill unless the much bigger $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill, focusing on human infrastructure and social spending such as climate change mitigation, increased child care funding, and health care expansions, also moves ahead.

We truly feel it is amazing that we live in a world where spending $1.2 trillion on a bipartisan infrastructure bill is considered “skinny,” but it is when compared to the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill!

Financing such social programs as universal pre-kindergarten, extended childcare, and expansion of health insurance coverage provided under Obamacare, the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill, known as the American Families Plan (AFP), it represents the largest expansion of federal spending since the New Deal. And, with this enormous price tag comes the concurrent federal income tax increases to fund it. Here are the potential “highlights”:

  • Federal income tax increases – the AFP will restore the 39.6% pre-Trump, pre-Tax Cuts and Jobs Act marginal ordinary income tax rate. This current marginal rate is 37%.
  • Multimillionaire excise tax – the AFP places a 3% excise tax on income in excess of $5 million
  • Higher corporate tax rates – the corporate tax rate is set to increase form 21% to 26.5%, with a new minimum tax of 16.5% on offshore earnings
  • Higher capital gains tax rates – the federal marginal capital gains tax rate for those with incomes higher than $400,000 will increase from 20% to 25%, and will be retroactive to September 13, 2021

And the less-likely but still possible proposals:

Additionally, the following indirect federal income tax increases are in the crosshairs:

  • Elimination of Roth IRA conversions for taxpayers filing jointly with incomes over $450,000, and for single taxpayers with incomes over $400,000
  • Elimination of “Backdoor” Roth IRA contributions, banned for ALL income levels
  • Mandatory taxable drawdowns of large IRAs – contributions to IRAs that have a total value of $10 million or more would be prohibited, IRAs and 401(k)s in excess of $10 million will have required minimum distributions of half of the amount over $10MM, and for retirement accounts over $20 million, everything over $20MM must be distributed immediately

Federal Income Tax Increases Explained

Still confused? Have more questions? Hungry for clear answers? Found below is a simple educational video we just produced, designed to break down the complicated topic of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan details, and the concurrent federal income tax increases that may occur, all specifically arranged in a digestible and easy-to-understand format.

Click HERE to watch the video!

Federal Income Tax Increases Explained

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Towerpoint Wealth on YouTube!

Importantly, and regardless of how things shake out, at Towerpoint Wealth we sincerely believe three things:

  1. Taxes will be higher over the next few years, perhaps as early as January of 2022, and perhaps significantly for higher income earners
  2. It is very reasonable to assume that this infrastructure legislation, in one way, shape, or form, will become law, and that trillions of dollars will soon be spent by our Federal government
  3. The next three months represent the most important tax planning months in recent years, as potential federal income tax increases mentioned above could be effective as soon as 1/1/2022

These tax planning opportunities include:

  • Accelerate income into THIS YEAR, and defer tax deductions into future tax years, to leverage today’s low income tax rates and minimize tomorrow’s potential Federal income tax increases
  • Utilize a partial, or even full, Roth IRA conversion in 2021, for the same reason mentioned directly above
  • Evaluate gifting strategies, such as the utilization of a donor advised fund (DAF), to accelerate (or “bunch”) your charitable contributions to hurdle the standard deduction in 2021

Have a plan, and if you don’t, we encourage you to click HERE to message us and begin to discuss your circumstances further. With the high probability of federal income tax increases occurring in the near future, time is of the essence!

What’s Happening at TPW?

Our always-photogenic Director of Research and Analytics, Nathan Billigmeier, and his beautiful wife Jessica, post together prior to heading into the brand new Safe Credit Union Performing Arts Center in downtown Sacramento to see a stellar performance of Hamilton!

Nathan Billigmeier Director of Research and Analytics

Most of the Towerpoint Wealth family (and extended family!) had a fun day of golf two Monday’s ago, directly supporting the Rotary Club of Arden-Arcade and the Rotary Club of Granite Bay to raise resources and money for homelessness, at-risk youth, and local schools and parks.

It was quite the “Around the World” golf tournament, specifically the craft beer, jello shots, and marshmallow drive on the TPW-hosted 7th hole!

Graph of the Week

Are you a nocoiner, or do you HODL?

A compelling chart below suggests that cryptocurrency does not appear to be going away any time soon!

What do you think is going to happen with crypto? Click HERE to message us and let us know your thoughts!

Trending Today

As the 24/7 news cycle churns, twists, and turns, a number of trending and notable events have occurred over the past few weeks:

As always, we sincerely value our relationships and partnerships with each of you, as well as your trust and confidence in us here at Towerpoint Wealth. We encourage you to reach out to us at any time (916-405-9140, info@towerpointwealth.com) with any questions, concerns, or needs you may have. The world continues to be an extremely unsettled and complicated place, and we are here to help you properly plan for and make sense of it.

Click here to Download

Towerpoint Wealth Sacramento Independent Financial Advisor

– Joseph, Jonathan, Steve, Lori, Nathan, and Michelle

Are Federal Income Tax Increases Looming? Infrastructure Bills
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The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the $3.5 Trillion Infrastructure Bill 10.01.2021

Are Federal Income Tax Increases Looming?

Our elected officials in Washington DC are working diligently to pass a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, and also a much larger $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill.

Click below to watch our President, Joseph F. Eschleman, and learn more about:

1. The mechanics of both bills, and the current status of the soap opera in D.C., as the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate continue to posture, grandstand, debate, and negotiate

2. Learn about the specifics regarding the looming federal income tax increases that may soon be coming

3. SPECIFIC ideas on 4Q, 2021 tax planning strategies that you can apply before the new year (and potentially, the new taxes) is upon us

If you think federal income taxes will remain low, then this video is NOT for you; if you think we are in for federal income tax increases, then click thumbs up and pay attention to these ideas!

Employee Stock Purchase Plan One Minute Tax Tips
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Employee Stock Purchase Plan 04.21.2021

What is an Employee Stock Purchase Plan?

Employee Stock Purchase Plan | If you are an employee of a publicly traded company, it most likely offers an employee stock purchase plan, or ESPP for short (also sometimes called a section 423 plan). These are excellent plans to take advantage of, as they allow employees to purchase company stock at a discount. However, what most people do not fully understand are the tax consequences of selling the stock.

With an ESPP, an employee is not taxed at the time they purchase shares, but instead only when they sell. As you may expect, the tax consequences of the sale will be different, depending specifically on how long the employee has held the shares. This holding period will determine if the sale is a “qualifying disposition” or “disqualifying disposition.”

Oftentimes, Employee Stock Purchase Plans allow employees to use after-tax payroll deductions to purchase company stock at a discount, which can be as high as 15% off the actual market price of the stock. However, what most people do not fully understand are the tax consequences of selling the stock acquired through these plans.

Taxation rules of ESPPs

Understanding taxation rules associated with ESPPs means you have an understanding of the importance of a “disposition strategy” that will produce the best economic result for you. With an ESPP, or qualified Section 423 plan, as we’ve said, you are not taxed at the time the shares are purchased, but instead only when you sell.

Employees can generally sell shares at any time, which is great if you have immediate cash needs, or want to reinvest the money into other assets. However, the tax consequences of the sale depend specifically on how long you have held the shares. This holding period will determine if the sale is a “qualifying disposition” or “disqualifying disposition,” which governs how much of the gain will be taxed at capital gains rates, or at less favorable ordinary income rates.

A qualifying disposition occurs when you sell your shares after holding them for at least one year from the purchase date and at least two years from the offering date. The rules say that you will pay ordinary income tax on the lesser of either 1) The discount offered based on the offering date price, or 2) the gain between the actual purchase price and the final sale price. The remainder of the gain, if there is one, will be taxed at the more favorable long-term capital gains rate.

If you don’t meet the holding period requirements for a qualifying disposition, then by default you end up with a disqualifying disposition. You will pay “regular” ordinary income tax on the difference between the actual purchase price and the purchase date market price, and you’ll pay capital gain tax rates on the difference between the purchase date price and the final sales price. It’s a little complicated, we know.

As you can see, it is incredibly important you understand the ESPP tax rules and how they can impact the amount of money you end up keeping in your pocket, if and when you decide to sell any shares you own in your section 423 plan.

Feel free to contact Towerpoint Wealth on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram to discuss a disposition strategy that is best for you given your circumstances and financial goals. What are the taxation rules associated with Employee Stock Purchase Plans—ESPPs—and can you be sure you’re minimizing taxes? It’s important to have a disposition strategy that will produce the best economic result for you.

Home Office Deduction Sacramento Tax Planning One Minute Tax Tips
Matt Regan No Comments

Home Office Deduction 04.02.21

Like many workers during the pandemic, you went from a somewhat quiet office to your tiny home “office” where you couldn’t escape your noisy kids and barking dog. With Tax Day pushed back to May 17th, this has given taxpayers extra time to find ways to lower their tax bills. Like most, you may have thought to yourself, “Wait a minute, I worked out of my home office for 9 months last year. Can I claim the home office deduction?”

As you would expect, taxpayers must meet very specific requirements to claim home expenses as an income tax deduction. You must be a certain type of taxpayer, you must determine if the office is really your principal place of business, and only certain expenses qualify for the deduction.

Watch this video from our Sacramento Wealth Advisor and CPA, Matt Regan, to learn whether or not you qualify for the home office deduction, and if you do, how to calculate the deduction. 

401(k) Loans Sacramento Real Estate TPW One Minute Tax Tips Square
Matt Regan No Comments

401(k) Loans 03.31.01

401(k) Loans | You’ve recently made some money in the stock market and interest rates are still low, so you decide it is the perfect time to buy a home. But there is a dilemma – which assets should be used, and which accounts should be drawn from to fund the down payment? Should you liquidate investments held in your “regular” non-retirement account, or should you borrow from your 401(k)?

Many people don’t like the idea of funding a down payment by selling investments in a “regular” non-retirement account because of the possible income tax consequences. Instead, they sometimes choose to borrow from their 401(k), saying to themselves: I can save money NOW by borrowing from myself, AND I am paying myself interest on the loan! Sounds harmless, right? Not so fast!

Watch this video from our Sacramento Wealth Advisor and CPA, Matt Regan, to learn why treating your 401(k) like a piggy bank could have a material impact to your retirement plan and longer-term economic health.

Retirement Plan 401k Disarray
Steve Pitchford No Comments

Is Your 401(k) in Disarray 03.29.2021

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As a small business owner, we know that you are an “around the clock” grinder, with a myriad of responsibilities that often supersede the core responsibilities you have to the growth of your business. And understanding that a regular review of your business’s retirement plan may not be a top priority of yours, at Towerpoint Wealth we have created this 401(k) “healthcheck” for your benefit. We regularly come across 401(k) and other company-sponsored retirement plans that, as currently structured, are in serious need of attention and improvement, and we are experienced in helping you, as a trustee and fiduciary to your company’s retirement plan, minimize the hassle of giving your plan the attention it needs.

Is your 401(k) plan structured and optimized properly to help you and your employees maximize the myriad of economic, investment, and tax benefits? Are you properly managing your fiduciary responsibility? Ask yourself the questions found below to quickly gauge whether your 401(k) needs adjusting or improving.

 Does my plan have a safe harbor structure?

You want to ensure that your 401K) retirement plan passes the annual non-discrimination testing conducted by the IRS. In its simplest sense, non-discrimination testing ensures that an employer is making contributions to each employee’s retirement account that equals the same percentage of salary for everyone. Importantly, if a plan fails a non-discrimination test, the 401(k) may lose its tax-qualified status.1

Retirement Plan 401(k) Disarray Towerpoint Wealth White paper 2021

[1]The most common reason a 401(k) plan fails this non-discrimination testing is when one or more of the business owners make much greater 401(k) contributions compared to their employees.

A safe harbor 401(k) plan structure ensures that you meet the non-discrimination regulatory requirements by following strict guidelines specific-to employer plan contributions, participant disclosures, and much more. 

Does my plan have a profit-sharing component and if so, am I optimizing its structure?

For a business owner to maximize the personal net worth building benefits associated with sponsoring a company retirement plan and receive the maximum 401(k) annual contribution amount of $58,000 in 2021[1] (employee deferrals + employer contributions), pairing a profitsharing component in the plan’s design is essential.

All profit sharing plan structures – same dollar amount, comp–to–comp, new comparability, etc.[2] – are not created equal. In particular, the new comparability strategy is becoming increasingly more common in modern 401(k) plans as this type of profit-sharing plan allows for unique flexibility in allocating the profits among the business owner(s) and employees.

Is my investment fund lineup optimized?

401(k) investment fund lineups vary from basic to advanced and passive to active. And with employees having better and more diverse investment options outside of 401(k) plans, annually reviewing your company’s fund lineup for improvements is critical to ensure that employees do not look to invest their hard-earned dollars elsewhere, and also to meet your fiduciary responsibility as plan trustee.

It is also a requirement that a business owner (usually with help from an investment professional) formulate, and review at least annually, an investment policy statement (IPS) for their 401(k).

Is my ERISA fidelity bond fund amount appropriate?  

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) requires 401(k) plans to hold a fidelity bond, which protects the plan from losses resulting from improper handling of the funds.

While fidelity bonds are generally inexpensive for the coverage offered, we often see the amount protected as either 1.) inadequate or 2.) overkill.  

[1] Increased to $64,500 for business owners 50 years of age or older.

[2] There are often several different terms that refer to the exact same type of profit-sharing structure.

Does my plan currently allow for after-tax Roth contributions?

While changing for the better, many 401(k) plans still do not allow after-tax Roth contributions. 

For business owners and employees that are in a temporarily low income tax bracket –  a business owner “winding down” and closing in on retirement or a younger employee at the beginning of their career and earning curve – offering an after-tax Roth contribution option, particularly given it typically costs nothing to do so, is a valuable and often overlooked plan benefit.

Is my vesting schedule appropriate?

Retirement Plan 401(k) Disarray Towerpoint Wealth White paper 2021

In order to incentivize employees to stay with your company, having a vesting schedule for any  employer-matching profit sharing contributions that is not overly generous is important. For a number of Towerpoint Wealth’s clients who are business owners, a vesting schedule of six years (with 0% vesting in the first year of participation) is appropriate, but each business and retirement plan is unique.

Have I considered automatically distributing an employee’s 401(k) balance when they leave the company?

Many 401(k) plan administrators charge their fees based on the number of employees that the plan has. 

In order to keep fees to a minimum, it is advisable to consider automatically distributing account balances below a certain threshold when an employee separates from service.

Am I managing my fiduciary responsibility and minimizing my fiduciary liability?

All business owners who offer a 401(k) for themselves and their employees have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that they are acting in the employees’ best interests, being prudent, diversifying plan investment assets, and adhering to all provisions of the retirement plan documents.

There are concrete steps that a business owner can take to uphold their fiduciary duty and at the same time, minimize their fiduciary liability.

Retirement Plan 401(k) Disarray Towerpoint Wealth White paper 2021

Wealth management firms that specialize in helping business owners optimize their retirement plans, such as Towerpoint Wealth, are able to help guide you through these murky waters.

Am I doing everything I can to maximize my own personal net worth within my company’s retirement plan?

Even if a small business owner has a well-structured plan that meets everyone’s needs, is it important to remember that 401(k)s, and other types of company-sponsored retirement plans, are uniquely customizable. And often, there are overlooked plan features that may help the business owner maximize their ability to accumulate wealth within the plan. 

One of these particularly powerful features is allowing for after-tax deferrals (not the same as after-tax Roth deferrals), which then affords the business owner to take advantage of the “Mega Backdoor” Roth IRA strategy.

Some other questions that are worth your thoughtful attention: Do I allow for hardship distributions and if not, should I? What about allowing rollovers from other retirement plans? Is it risky to offer loans to employees? Are my plan’s expenses and fees reasonable?

How Can We Help?

Steve Pitchford, CPA, CFP®
Director of Tax and Financial Planning

At Towerpoint Wealth, we are a legal fiduciary to you, and specialize in optimizing retirement plan structures for business owners.. If you would like to speak with us regarding any other tax questions you may have, we encourage you to call (916-405-9166) or email (spitchford@towerpointwealth.com) to open an objective dialogue.

Towerpoint Wealth, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This material is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Towerpoint Wealth, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Towerpoint Wealth, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.

Tax Form 1099
Steve Pitchford No Comments

The Frustrations of Tax Form 1099 : TPW White paper 05.20.2023

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It’s Tax Time | What is the Form 1099?

What exactly is a Form 1099, why can they be so frustrating to process, and how do you manage the problem of receiving an amended one? Read on to find out!

What is the Form 1099?
A Form 1099 is any one of a series of documents that contains information on all transactions that occurred inside of a “taxable” account1 during a given tax year. Reporting this information on a taxpayer’s annual federal individual income tax return is required. Most investment custodians (e.g. Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, etc.) will consolidate the various Form 1099s into one consolidated document, known as a Composite Form 1099.

The most common transactions represented on a Form 1099 are:

• Dividends and Distributions (Form 1099-DIV): Typically generated by owning a stock/equity investment product.
• Interest Income
(Form 1099-INT): Typically generated by owning a bond/fixed-income investment product.
• Capital Transactions (Form 1099-B): Reflects gains/(losses) from the sale of a capital asset.

Towerpoint Tip:

A Form 1099 is not the same as a Form 1099-R. The latter form reports annual distributions from tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as “regular” pre-tax IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and 401(k)s.

What do I do with a Form 1099?

If you work with a CPA/tax advisor, you should provide this tax form to them for inclusion on your federal individual income tax return.

If you prepare your own tax returns, be sure to utilize the import function that many tax preparation software programs now provide. This will ensure accurate reporting to the IRS, which is particularly important for Form 1099s, as any reporting discrepancies in the information you input versus the information the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) receives from your custodian automatically “flags” your federal tax return for additional scrutiny.

Why do I receive my Form 1099 late or even worse, receive an amended Form 1099?

Generally, investment custodians have until February 15 to provide taxpayers with their Form 1099s, although more recently, custodians are requesting exceptions and extensions to, or even flat-out missing, this issuance deadline, so be aware that you may be waiting past this date to receive yours.

Why? Before completing Form 1099s, custodians must first receive and collect taxable income information from each of the underlying investments all of their clients were invested in during the prior year; and more often than not, 1099 issuance delays originate with the underlying companies themselves.

It is also common for custodians to have to restate the originally issued Form 1099, and reissue what are known as amended Form 1099s, when one or more of the underlying investment companies revise, update, or correct an error made in their initial reporting.

What do I do if I receive an amended Form 1099, and are there any steps I can take to make this less of a headache?

if you receive an amended Form 1099 after already filing your tax return, you may need to file an amended tax return. You should speak with your CPA/tax professional for guidance on this important consideration.

To put yourself in the best position to avoid this hassle, we recommend that taxpayers work with their CPA/tax professional to prepare their tax returns in full as early as possible in the filing season, but wait until later in March to actually file them. While we fully understand the desire for some of you to finish and file your tax return as soon as possible, waiting to file minimizes the likelihood that you’ll have to file an amended tax return after receiving an amended Form 1099. Additionally, this gives your tax professional adequate time to properly prepare and file your return should you receive amended 1099s.

Towerpoint Tip:

If the difference between the original Form 1099 and the amended Form 1099 is slight, and can be considered in your favor, the cost of amending the tax returns may outweigh doing nothing. However, we advise you file an amended return when the amended Form 1099 results in additional taxes owed.

How Can We Help?

Steve Pitchford, CPA, CFP®
Director of Tax and Financial Planning

At Towerpoint Wealth, we are a legal fiduciary to you, and embrace the professional obligation we have to work 100% in your best interests. If you would like to speak with us regarding any other tax questions you may have, we encourage you to call (916-405-9166) or email (spitchford@towerpointwealth.com) to open an objective dialogue.

Towerpoint Wealth, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This material is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Towerpoint Wealth, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Towerpoint Wealth, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.