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Plain-English breakdowns of the tax moves that actually change your outcome — from The Equity Architect.19 articles published

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How the 2026 AMT Rules Changed: Why More ISO Holders Will Owe It

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act reset the AMT phaseout for 2026. The exemption held, but it now phases out sooner and twice as fast, pushing more ISO exercises into AMT. Here are the numbers and what to do before December 31.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

83(b) Elections: The 30-Day Filing That Can Save Six Figures

An 83(b) election taxes restricted stock or early-exercised options at today's low value instead of at each vesting date, starting the capital gains and QSBS clocks early. The filing deadline is 30 days from exercise, with no extensions.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Concentration Risk: When Your Net Worth Rides on One Stock

Concentration risk is holding so much of one company's stock that a single decline could derail your financial plan. Learn the 10-20% rule of thumb, the tax cost of selling, and how staged diversification works.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Double-Trigger RSUs: Why Your Whole Tax Bill Hits at IPO

Double-trigger RSUs vest only when a time requirement and a liquidity event both happen. When your company IPOs, every year of vested shares lands as ordinary income at once.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Equity Compensation, Explained: A Tech Employee's Field Guide

RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, and ESPP shares are four different instruments, each taxed on its own trigger. Here's what each one means for your bill.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Is Your ESPP Discount Worth It? Run the Math

A 15% ESPP discount combined with a look-back provision can produce a guaranteed double-digit return before the stock moves at all. Here is the math, the tax treatment, and the concentration risk that limits how long to hold.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

The ISO Exercise Decision: AMT vs. Cash-Flow Tradeoffs

Exercising incentive stock options means weighing an AMT bill, the cash to exercise, and concentration risk together, not solving for AMT alone. Here is how the three factors interact.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

NSO Exercise Timing: Splitting a Big Exercise Across Two Tax Years

Exercising nonqualified stock options creates ordinary income on the spread the day you exercise. Splitting a large exercise across December and January can keep that income out of a higher bracket.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Pre-IPO Planning: The Moves That Expire After Liquidity

A handful of equity moves only work before your company goes public: early exercise with an 83(b) election, starting the QSBS clock, gifting shares at a low 409(a) valuation, and AMT-aware exercise timing. Here is the deadline for each.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

QSBS: How to Exclude $10M to $15M in Gains

Section 1202 lets founders and early employees exclude some or all of the gain on qualified small business stock. Here is how the exclusion works under both the pre and post July 2025 rules.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

How RSUs Are Taxed at Vesting: Why 22% Withholding Isn't Enough

RSUs are taxed as ordinary income the moment they vest, based on the full fair market value of the shares. The default 22% federal withholding often falls short of what higher earners owe, creating a tax bill due the following April.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Strike Price and Fair Market Value: How the Spread Sets Your Tax

Strike price is what you pay for a share; fair market value is what it's worth today. The gap between them, the spread, is what the IRS taxes.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Vesting Schedules Explained: Cliffs, Timing, and the Tax at Vest

Vesting turns a promised grant into owned equity on a schedule. RSUs are taxed as ordinary income the day each tranche vests, sold or not.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

The 2026 OBBBA Rules Changed Your AMT Number

OBBBA changed how the AMT hits ISO exercises. If you're exercising before year-end, your safe number moved. See what changed and how to find yours.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 7, 2026

Understanding AMT: What Every ISO Holder Needs to Know Before Exercising

The Alternative Minimum Tax can turn a smart ISO exercise into a costly mistake. Here's how it works and how to stay in the safe zone.

Jon Ludwig

April 1, 2025

Restricted Stock Units (RSU): How Vesting and Taxes Work

Taxed as ordinary income at vesting — the 22% default withholding rarely covers the bill.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Incentive Stock Options (ISO): Exercising, AMT, and Capital Gains

Can reach capital-gains rates, but exercising can trigger AMT on shares you haven’t sold.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Non-Qualified Stock Options (NSO): How the Spread Is Taxed

Taxed as ordinary income the moment you exercise. Timing across tax years is the lever.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP): The Discount, Explained

Buy company stock at ~15% off — roughly a 17.6% pre-tax return most employees skip.

Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®

July 10, 2026

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