Category: Alternative minimum tax

Why Exercising Incentive Stock Options When the Stock Price is Down May Not Be Your Best Strategy

Wouldn’t it be great if your company stock price only ever went up—especially if you’re participating in its growth through incentive stock options (ISOs)? Unfortunately, that’s not always how the world turns. If the share price goes down instead, you may be bummed to see the value of your incentive stock options is less than what it once was. However, a down stock price might mean that you could score some tax breaks if you exercise and hold some of those ISOs. When the price is down, the move might help minimize alternative minimum tax (AMT).

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What You Should Know About the Alternative Minimum Tax and Incentive Stock Options

Most people understand that taxes can be a little more complicated when you have incentives stock options and other equity compensation. What they may not know is that income tax isn’t just about tax brackets to calculate your regular taxable income. The federal income tax system has a sister system that figures how much tax you may owe due to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). AMT may kick in when your income goes over a certain threshold or when you engage in certain activities, namely exercising and holding incentive stock options.

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6 Tips to Manage and Mitigate the Alternative Minimum Tax on Incentive Stock Options

Incentive stock options are a type of equity compensation you may receive as part of your overall compensation package. Incentive stock options, or ISOs, allow you to buy company stock at a fixed price for a set period of time, regardless of the current fair market value of the stock. In the best circumstances, incentive stock options can be a tool to generate significant wealth if…

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