Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Employee Stock Options

Pelican said...

I held options (granted several years back through an incentive plan, all vested) with a private company of which I was an employee. We were bought by another company in 2010; I was let go and my options were converted into stock certificates for the acquiring company. I sold some of this stock in 2010 and kept the rest. I have 1099B forms for the stocks I sold.

I'm confused on how to declare this for 2010 federal taxes. Do the certificates count as income worth the stock price on the day the certificates were issued, and then I declare a short term capital gain on the part that I sold? Does the fact that the options were granted several years ago make this a long term gain somehow? Thanks!