RSUs · Pitfalls

The RSU tax traps that hit in April, and how to dodge them

The flat rate your company withholds at vesting is almost always lower than what you owe, and that gap is just the first of the RSU traps. This is the complete field guide: the withholding gap, estimated taxes, the double-taxed 1099-B, short-term gains, blackouts, wash sales, acceleration, and the private-company bill on shares you cannot sell.