Tuesday Tax Tidbit: Executive Compensation Could Be Subject to Additional Taxes

The additional Medicare tax and net investment income tax (NIIT) apply when certain income exceeds the applicable threshold: $250,000 for married filing jointly, $125,000 for married filing separately, and $200,000 for other taxpayers.

The following types of executive compensation could be subject to the 0.9% additional Medicare tax if your earned income exceeds the applicable threshold:

• Fair market value (FMV) of restricted stock once the stock is no longer subject to risk of forfeiture or it’s sold
• FMV of restricted stock when it’s awarded if you make a Section 83(b) election
• Bargain element of nonqualified stock options when exercised
• Nonqualified deferred compensation once the services have been performed and there’s no longer a substantial risk of forfeiture

And the following types of gains from exec comp will be included in net investment income and could be subject to the 3.8% NIIT if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds the applicable threshold:

• Gain on the sale of restricted stock if you’ve made the Sec. 83(b) election
• Gain on the sale of stock from an incentive stock option exercise if you meet the holding requirements

Concerned about how your exec comp will be taxed? Please contact us. We can help you assess the potential tax impact and implement strategies to reduce it.

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