Which Tax Law Is Really Hurting Silicon Valley?
Silicon Valley is known for a lot of things. Some of the world’s greatest technological advances and ideas have come from companies located in the Silicon Valley. Likewise, some of the world’s most innovative and largest companies were born in Silicon Valley and still call it home today. Many people have found great success and riches in Silicon Valley, including many employees who helped build companies from the ground up.
There is a big problem, though, for many of these kinds of employees. There is a tax provision that is really hurting people who have worked for many years for start-ups or newer companies and have helped them become successful and valuable companies. However, when it coms time for many of these employees to leave their job or simply to cash out their stock options, they can’t really afford to pay the required cash outlay.
This problem should have been fixed when companies were allowed to give employees incentive stock options. However, in 1982, Congress changed that rule when it turned exercising an incentive stock option into a tax preference as part of the AMT. That meant any gain on the exercise of incentive stock was now taxed. This is very problematic for any employee in this boat, which is having a hard time exercising his or her options. In some cases, even if they can’t sell the stock, some employees end up owing tax on phantom income but they have no money to pay for it.
This tax provision is clearly causing problem for many people who have helped make Silicon Valley what it is today. And it’s a problem that the government should fix.
Business Communications
Business Communications By Myron Curry President of BusinessTrainingMedia.com The importance of free-flowing forthright communications, both downward from management to employees and upward from employees to management, can hardly be overemphasized. Whether it’s to support morale and productivity among the workforce or to assure that management takes advantage of employee input, good communications are essential. Where…
Business Rebuilding Trust
Business Rebuilding Trust By Shari Caudron At companies where trust has been broken because of, say, high-profile executive wrongdoing, HR has to step up to the plate and help the leaders regain their credibility. Emmett Seaborn, a principal with Towers Perrin in Stamford, Connecticut, says this is done through an extensive communication effort that involves…
Business Employee Surveys
Business Employee Surveys By Patrick Gilbert, David Slavney, and David Tong Employee motivation is vital to business success. Increasingly, it distinguishes companies that thrive from those that fail to survive. A highly motivated workforce delivers superior products and services, and this in turn leads to greater customer satisfaction and improved sales performance. Given the implications…
Are These Traits Killing Your Leadership Ability?
Are These Traits Killing Your Leadership Ability? To be a good leader requires many attributes. Most good leaders possess the necessary skills to lead their teams and contribute to their companies’ success. However, no one is perfect. And even good leaders aren’t always “on.” Everyone has a bad day, or a bad moment, when they…