GOLDEN HANDCUFFS // FYI 2026.RSU
COMPANY EQUITY MODEL STRIPE-PRIVATE • $42 PRE-IPO

Stripe RSU Tax Calculator (2026)

Deterministic tax model calibrated for Stripe equity packages administered via Carta / Morgan Stanley at Work. Discover your true supplemental withholding gap and incremental share sales required.

Preset Loaded: Stripe (STRIPE-PRIVATE) • Double-trigger RSUs or single-trigger liquidity event shares with quarterly vesting
Brokerage: Carta / Morgan Stanley at Work
Vest & Comp Parameters2026.1 PROTOCOL
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Tax Filing Status
IRC § 3402(g) GAPEstimated April Tax Shortfall
$12,738

Your employer's brokerage will automatically sell shares at flat statutory rates (34.52% combined), leaving a $12,738 unpaid tax gap when your W-2 is filed in April.

Incremental Shares to Sell304 SHARES Liquidate manually upon vest to cover estimated federal & state gap
Net Shares Kept After Full Tax1987 / 3500 Retained value: $83,454
Total Gross Vest$147,0003500 shares @ $42/share
Brokerage Sell-to-Cover$50,7431209 shares liquidated automatically (34.52%)
True Federal Liability$46,446 Marginal 35.00% bracket on total comp $337,000
State Tax (CA)$13,671 Statutory withheld: $15,038 (10.23%)
2026 FICA Withholding$3,365 SS ($184.5k cap): $0 • Med: $3,365
Actual True Total Tax$63,481 Effective true tax rate: 43.18%
SPONSORED FIDUCIARY ADVISORYSAFE-HARBOR MATCH
Match with a Fiduciary CPA to calculate quarterly safe-harbor payments

Connect with a California Tech Equity CPA to calculate Form 540-ES estimated payments and protect against CA underpayment penalties. Ensure Form 1040-ES and state vouchers protect you against IRS underpayment penalties (IRC § 6654).

Schedule 15-Min Safe Harbor Review

Stripe Equity Plan & Tax Architecture

Stripe employees with settled RSUs or participating in internal secondary tender offers face tax withholding at 22% statutory rates. Because shares are illiquid outside tender windows, underwithholding is hazardous: you cannot easily sell additional shares later to satisfy your April IRS obligation.

Vesting Schedule & Cadence

Structure: Double-trigger RSUs or single-trigger liquidity event shares with quarterly vesting

Equity awards at Stripe are subject to standard supplemental wage withholding at vest. Because Stripe stock (STRIPE-PRIVATE) may fluctuate between grant date and vest release date, tracking your fair market value (FMV) basis is critical for post-vest capital gain accounting.

Brokerage Administration & Sell-To-Cover Mechanics

Stock Plan Administrator: Carta / Morgan Stanley at Work

Company tender offers or net-settlement during annual liquidity windows withhold statutory minimum 22% federal.

Calculate Stripe RSUs by State of Residence

State supplemental withholding rates vary dramatically from 0% in Washington, Texas, and Florida up to 10.23% in California and 11.70% in New York: