WCI #136: Taxes on Stock Options

There are non-qualified stock options and incentive stock options. They are each taxed very differently. A listener joined a startup and was offered shares of stock in the company. If his company is acquired by a larger company he wanted to know who those stock options are taxed. Are all the taxes paid at the time of acquisition? Is it in the capital tax bracket? Is there a way to mitigate these taxes in any special way? In this episode we talk about the two different stock options and how they are taxed. You can see the full show notes and transcription here https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/classic-blog/. It gets complicated. In non-qualified stock options you have to pay your full ordinary income tax rate on the difference between the two prices and pay payroll taxes. For the incentive stock option it depends on whether you are subject to the alternative minimum tax. Most doctors don't deal with stock options very often but if this situation applies to you, you will find the answers to how you are tax on those stocks in this episode.

For everyone else I still answer lots of listener and reader questions in this episode too. If you are considering medical school I discuss the choice of where to go to school. If you are trying to understand the mega backdoor Roth IRA better, we address that in this episode, as well as deferred compensation, paying tithing, and refinancing student loans in residency.

I estimate that 80% of doctors need, want, and should use a financial advisor and/or an investment manager. Some investment gurus such as Dr. William Bernstein think my estimate is way too low. At any rate, if you want to use an advisor temporarily or for your entire life, there is no reason to feel guilty about it—just make sure you are getting good advice at a fair price. If you need help updating your financial plan or just getting one in place, check out our list of recommended financial advisors at https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/financial-advisors. You can do this and The White Coat Investor can help.

The White Coat Investor has been helping doctors with their money since 2011. Our free financial planning resource covers a variety of topics from doctor mortgage loans and refinancing medical school loans to physician disability insurance and malpractice insurance. Learn about loan refinancing or consolidation, explore new investment strategies, and discover loan programs specifically aimed at helping doctors. If you're a high-income professional and ready to get a "fair shake" on Wall Street, The White Coat Investor is for you!

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