Disclaimer

Everything published on Cliff & Vest — every calculator, explanation, worked example and answer — is general educational information. It is not tax advice, legal advice, accounting advice, or investment advice, and it is not a recommendation to exercise, hold, sell, or refrain from any of those.

No professional relationship

Using this site does not create an accountant-client, attorney-client, adviser-client or fiduciary relationship of any kind. We do not know your circumstances, have not reviewed your grant documents, your prior returns, or your full financial position, and are not in a position to advise you.

A calculator is not your tax return

Each calculator models one narrow question and states explicitly, on its own page, what it does not model. Real returns involve interactions these tools cannot see: other income, state and local tax, prior-year carryforwards, credits, phaseouts elsewhere in the code, and the timing of everything relative to everything else.

A figure produced here should be treated as an estimate that helps you understand the shape and rough size of a decision — not as the amount to pay. Before acting on any figure of consequence, consult a qualified tax professional. Equity compensation is a specialism, and a generalist preparer may not have seen your situation before either.

Accuracy

Considerable effort goes into being right, and the verification process is unusually thorough for a site of this kind. It is still not a guarantee. Tax law changes, published guidance is revised, our reading of a provision may be wrong, and a defect may exist that the testing has not caught.

Figures are stated as of the verification date shown on each page. Where the underlying rules are projected rather than final, the page says so. You are responsible for confirming any figure before relying on it.

Limitation of liability

This site is provided as is, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any warranty of accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for any loss or damage — including tax, interest, penalties, or lost opportunity — arising from use of, or reliance on, anything published here.

External links

We link to primary sources such as the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury regulations, and IRS publications. Those sites are not under our control and we are not responsible for their content or availability. A link is a citation, not an endorsement.

Advertising

Advertisements are served by third parties and are not reviewed, endorsed, or vetted by us. An advertisement appearing on a page is not a recommendation of the advertiser, their product, or their advice. Be particularly careful with advertisements offering to finance an option exercise or to buy your shares — evaluate them independently and, again, with professional help.

Found a mistake?

Tell us. Corrections are the most valuable message this site receives, and they are acted on quickly.