Contents:
The primary advantage here is that it reduces the overhang of useless equity inasmuch as it results in fewer options being outstanding.
Further, there should be no accounting charge as a result of the exchange because the value of the new options is no higher than the exchanged options. Companies effecting an options exchange must comply with federal securities law tender offer rules which are generally triggered when stockholders are asked to make an investment decision about selling or exchanging one security for another or modified one.
The tender offer rules require that the company file a Tender Offer Statement Schedule TO with the SEC, attach a detailed Offer to Exchange which makes the offer to the optionholders and deliver it to the optionees. The company must keep the tender offer open for at least 20 business days. As is the case with repricings, option exchanges effected by listed companies must be approved by the stockholders under NYSE and Nasdaq rules unless the underlying plan provides otherwise. See above regarding the process of seeking stockholder approval.
Proxy statement disclosure is somewhat more complicated in an exchange as compared with a repricing because the company must explain how it determined the value of the exchanged options.
Under current accounting rules, an option exchange is considered a modification of the old option. If there is an increase in value when comparing the new option with the old, then an accounting charge is taken. But if there is a true value-for-value exchange underwater option is exchanged for option subject to a fewer number of shares , then the exchange is a neutral event with no accounting charge. One quick tax point that relates to both repricings and exchanges. Option Exchange The alternative to option repricing is exchanging the underwater options for fewer lower exercise priced options, i.
It's always the choice of the employee. There is no guidance that companies should give here, but in my opinion, companies should always give their employees the choice to early exercise because early exercise has, if a person chooses to do it, some very clear tax benefits. I can summarize quickly if it's helpful.
Find the latest on option chains for Alleghany Corporation Common Stock (Y) at A stock option is a contract that gives you the right, but not obligation, to buy a stock at an agreed-upon price and date. So if your employer grants you options, you do not own shares. Rather, you have the option to buy shares at the aforementioned strike price. Doing so is called exercising your option.
Josh : Sure. So there are roughly three phases when someone joins a company. When they first join, call it the first several months to a year, they get these options. If they can early exercise, that means they can take money out of their pocket, purchase those options, get the stock and in that year, if the value of the stock equals the value of the options, they basically pay no taxes at the point of exercise.
They would just have to pay taxes when selling their shares. So that has the best tax treatment, but it also has the highest risk, to be clear.
It's basically acting as an investor and that money can be lost if the company's not successful. However, there might be taxes due that year and the company is illiquid, so now you may have to pay taxes out of pocket. It has to be money they're willing to not think about because it can't be something that they depend on for living.
Then there's the IPO timeframe where someone can exercise and then the stock value has gone up quite a bit, but they can sell right away and have the money to pay taxes that year because there are taxes based on the difference between the option price they paid and the stock value at present. That one has the most conservative approach because the company's already liquid, but it has the highest tax rate because you're now paying income tax, whereas in the first scenario, you pay long-term capital gains which is a good thing — assuming that the time delay between exercising the options and the liquidity event is more than a year.
The main point is, people should have the choice to figure out the difference. Certain paths, like paying out of pocket cash before any form of liquidity, can literally mean half the taxes. If someone is choosing to join a startup, it feels fair to them to give them that information. From an options standpoint, exercising early creates more work for the company. If someone leaves the company, they don't get all their options if they haven't vested. So, if they are on a four-year grant and they leave after two years, the company basically gets back the options for the two years they haven't vested.
To me, all the paperwork and overhead is just the right thing to do if the employee chooses that this is important to them. This equity guide is just about surfacing the pros and cons and letting people make the choice.
The following provisions will apply to Stock Awards in the event of a Transaction unless otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Stock Award or any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided. You may also have a look at the following articles —. Popular Courses. You are encouraged to discuss the proposed terms of any division of this option with the Company prior to finalizing the domestic relations order or marital settlement agreement to help ensure the required information is contained within the domestic relations order or marital settlement agreement. Other forms of Stock Awards valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Stock, including the appreciation in value thereof e.
It's becoming more a part of the conversation but it's still not very standard. So, unless the person exercises them within three months after leaving, they lose those options, which is kind of crazy to think about because the person has already invested time, already contributed to the company, already meaningfully helped the business.
Just because they don't have the cash in time to pay the option price or the AMT they would have to pay on the gain, they lose their options. It doesn't seem very fair. They're called golden handcuffs because a lot of times people will stay around the company simply to not lose their stock. People should be at a company because they really care about the work, they believe in the product, and they enjoy the company of their colleagues. So what I believe is important there is to give people flexibility.
I don't think it's across the board, I think someone has to earn it. So at Gusto, for example, everyone that has stayed here at least three years, their expiration changes from three months to ten years.
The thought process is that if hypothetically, an employee has to move home to live with their family or they're getting married to a childhood sweetheart across the country, these are all things that are great decisions that should not be punished. People should have the ability to still be honored by the business, maintain the option to point of liquidity, then exercise and not lose the stock they worked for.
Craig : Cool. Yeah, Ben Horowitz is pretty vocal on this stuff.