Is this a stock vesting tax calculator?

Yes for RSU vests — the tax event is when restricted stock units deliver and become yours. Enter vest value (shares × price) to estimate wage tax and withholding. It is not a vesting schedule tool; use the vesting schedule calculator for cliff and grant dates only.

Is there an RSU calculator Excel template?

Spreadsheets miss stacked salary, bonus, FICA, state tax, and supplemental withholding rules. This RSU calculator loads reviewed tax-year assumptions and shows the gap vs flat withholding — use Excel for your own notes, not as a substitute for payroll mechanics.

Is this a restricted stock tax calculator?

Yes for standard RSU vests taxed as wages at vest. Restricted stock with 83(b) elections follows different rules — see stock option and startup equity guides if that applies to you.

Is this a free RSU tax calculator?

Yes. Enter your vest details and tax year to see a planning estimate with assumptions shown. It is not a tax preparation product and does not file anything for you.

Does this include sell-to-cover?

This tool estimates tax on the vest itself. If your employer sells shares automatically, the tax mechanics are the same; only the cash flow changes. Use the sell-to-cover calculator to model shares sold for withholding separately.

Why does my state tax look high compared to my friend's?

State rates and whether your state taxes wages at all vary widely. Two people with the same vest value can owe different state tax if one lives in California and another in Washington. The calculator uses loaded flat state estimates, not your full return.

Should I change my W-4 after a big vest?

If the estimate shows a withholding gap, many people increase W-4 withholding on salary or make estimated payments rather than waiting until April. The IRS withholding estimator can help you test scenarios with your actual pay stubs.

Is the 22% line on my vest confirmation my final tax?

Usually not. Publication 15 allows a flat supplemental withholding rate on many equity vests; it is not a cap on what you owe. Your final tax depends on total annual income, deductions, and credits.

RSU tax calculator

RSU Tax Calculator

Model federal and state taxes on your RSU vest, compare withholding to estimated tax, and see what you may keep.

A vest is coming and you want a rough tax number before W-2 season — enter vest value, salary, state, and tax year to compare estimated tax to typical employer withholding.

Gather before you start

and number of shares (from your equity portal).
Expected share price on day, or last close if the is soon.
Annual salary and bonus so the estimate can sit in context with your other wages.
Your filing status and state of residence on the .
Last pay stub or prior if you want to sanity-check rates.

Rough planning numbers only. Your employer's plan rules, actual vest FMV, and full-year return details can change the outcome.

In plain terms

Enter your value, salary, state, and tax year. The calculator estimates federal income tax, payroll tax, and state tax on the , then shows how that compares to typical supplemental .

Planning estimate

Rough estimate for planning, not a filing number. Check your pay stubs, W-2, and a tax pro before you rely on it.

We do not pre-fill personal financial values. Estimates appear only after you enter your own numbers.

Enter your details to estimate

Add your equity, income, state, and withholding details to see an educational estimate. No personal financial values are pre-filled.

Start with the fields below.

Your details

Enter your own numbers below. This is an estimate, not a filing position.

Tax year

Calculators pull rates from our tax-year files. For the most complete defaults, use 2025. Unloaded years ask you to enter rates yourself.

Filing status

Used for federal tax brackets and Medicare thresholds.

State

State tax uses a simplified flat effective rate when loaded. See calculator methodology for how state estimates work.

Annual base salary (optional)

Expected W-2 salary for the year, before RSU vests. Improves the marginal-rate estimate.

Annual bonus / other W-2 income (optional)

Other ordinary wages expected this year.

RSU vest value

Total fair market value of RSUs vesting, ordinary income at vest.

Required to estimate

Federal supplemental withholding rate

Employers often use the IRS supplemental rate for RSU vests under $1M. Adjust if yours differs.

State withholding rate

Default estimate for your state (2025): 10.2%. Edit if your employer uses a different rate.

Social Security wages already earned this year (optional)

Wages subject to Social Security so far. RSU vests count toward the wage base. Leave blank if unsure.

Include Medicare taxes (1.5%)Include Additional Medicare Tax estimate (0.9% above threshold)

After vest, you plan to

Taxes at vest are the same either way. Holding adds market risk, not modeled here.

Results will appear here once you enter your RSU vest value.

Assumptions used in this estimate

Tax year: 2025Reviewed 2026-06-04Assumptions loaded from tax-year config
Federal supplemental withholding (default): 22.0%(official)Reviewed 2026-06-04Source: IRS Publication 15 (Circular E)Your entry overrides the default when edited
State supplemental withholding: 10.2%Your entry or default from tax year file. See methodology for how state estimates work.
State withholding source (CA): 10.2%(estimated)Reviewed 2026-06-04Source: VestingTax flat effective rate methodology (2025)Default supplemental withholding estimate for modeling. See methodology for how state estimates work.
State effective rate (CA): 9.3%(estimated)Reviewed 2026-06-04Source: VestingTax flat effective rate methodology (2025)Flat effective rate estimate — not a state-published bracket table. See methodology for how state estimates work.
Social Security rate: 6.20%(official)Reviewed 2026-06-04Source: IRS Publication 15 — Social Security and Medicare Tax Rates
Medicare rate: 1.45%(official)Reviewed 2026-06-04Source: IRS Publication 15 — Social Security and Medicare Tax Rates

Calculator methodology — sources, limits, and what is not modeled.

When to use this calculator

You have an upcoming and want a planning estimate of federal, payroll, and state tax before shares land in your account.
You already vested and want to compare what your employer withheld to what your marginal bracket might require for the year.
You are deciding whether to adjust W-4 or set aside cash for estimated payments after a large .

Inputs you need

Number of shares and expected on the (from your equity portal or a recent close).
Annual salary and expected bonus so the estimate reflects stacked wage income, not the in isolation.
Filing status, state of residence on the , and tax year.
Optional: prior pay stub or if you want to sanity-check rates already in effect.

How to interpret the result

The output is an estimated tax on the event, broken into federal income tax, FICA, and state tax where loaded tables exist.
Compare estimated tax to typical supplemental shown separately — a gap suggests you may owe more at filing unless you adjust or pay estimates.
If you selected a tax year without loaded tables, manual rate fields drive the math; treat those as your assumptions, not site defaults.

What this calculator does not know

Your full return: deductions, credits, other income, spouse's wages, or prior-year carryforwards.
Exact supplemental rate your payroll uses (plans vary; IRS Pub. 15 describes common flat-rate methods).
mechanics, net shares delivered, or brokerage fees — use the or net proceeds calculators for cash flow.
Multi-state sourcing, remote work, or while traveling — state rules vary and may need professional review.

Documents to verify before filing

confirmation: shares , used, shares sold for .
Pay stub after : Box 1 wages, federal/state , FICA lines.
Year-end : total wages include income; reconcile to confirmations.
Broker delivery notice: net shares and per-share recorded at .

Next pages to read

These links are for education and planning. They are not filing instructions and do not replace review of your own documents or a qualified tax professional.

How the tax works

value is treated as wages. Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state tax (where applicable) can all apply on the same event.

Employers often at a flat supplemental rate on the . That rate is a payroll shortcut, not your final tax rate for the year.

If your is higher than the flat rate, the can look "covered" on your pay stub but still leave a balance due at filing.

What to check on your end

Estimated total tax on the vs. what your employer will .
Whether your marginal bracket is above the flat supplemental rate.
State tax if you live in a state that taxes wages.
Payroll tax lines separate from federal income tax .
Whether multiple vests this year stack into a higher bracket together.

Treating the vest value as take-home cash

The headline value is not what lands in your pocket. Tax and shrink the net shares or cash you receive. Planning around the pre-tax number is how people get surprised in April even when each "looked fine" on its own.

What to pull from your files

Equity portal notice: shares , used, shares sold for .
Pay stub after : Box 1 wages jump, federal/state , FICA lines.
(after year-end): total wages include income; compare to your confirmations.
Brokerage delivery notice: net shares received and recorded per share.

Example scenario (hypothetical)

Illustration only, not your tax situation.

Example: Alex vests $25,000 of while already in a higher federal bracket. The employer withholds at a flat supplemental rate on the income-tax portion, but Alex's combined salary plus sits in a higher marginal layer. The calculator shows a gap between withheld amounts and estimated tax so Alex can set cash aside before filing.

Questions people ask

Is this a stock vesting tax calculator?: Yes for vests — the tax event is when restricted stock units deliver and become yours. Enter value (shares × price) to estimate wage tax and . It is not a schedule tool; use the schedule calculator for cliff and grant dates only.
Is there an RSU calculator Excel template?: Spreadsheets miss stacked salary, bonus, FICA, state tax, and supplemental rules. This calculator loads reviewed tax-year assumptions and shows the gap vs flat — use Excel for your own notes, not as a substitute for payroll mechanics.
Is this a restricted stock tax calculator?: Yes for standard vests taxed as wages at . Restricted stock with 83(b) elections follows different rules — see stock option and startup equity guides if that applies to you.
Is this a free RSU tax calculator?: Yes. Enter your details and tax year to see a planning estimate with assumptions shown. It is not a tax preparation product and does not file anything for you.
Does this include sell-to-cover?: This tool estimates tax on the itself. If your employer sells shares automatically, the tax mechanics are the same; only the cash flow changes. Use the calculator to model shares sold for separately.

When a CPA is worth it

You had multiple vests, a bonus, and stock sales in the same year.
You moved states mid-year or work remotely from a different state than your employer.
You are deciding how much to sell vs. hold immediately after .
You owe estimated tax penalties and want a plan for next year.

Sources and notes

Primary tax claims on this page are supported by the official and secondary sources below. Broker and software links describe reporting mechanics — confirm rules against IRS or state guidance.

RSU vest as wages, supplemental withholding rates, and separate payroll tax on vest income.

IRS Publication 15 (Circular E) — Supplemental wages
Internal Revenue Service · Official
Section 7 describes supplemental wage withholding, including the optional 22% flat rate and 37% rate above $1 million of supplemental wages in a calendar year.
IRS — U.S. taxation of stock-based compensation (RSU vesting and W-2 reporting)
Internal Revenue Service · Official
Describes RSU income at vest, W-2 reporting in boxes 1/3/5, and ordinary income treatment.
Equity Compensation — RSU taxation at vest and on sale
Charles Schwab (Workplace Financial Services) · Brokerage explainer
Plain-language explainer: RSU value at vest on W-2, FICA, withholding may not cover full tax, separate capital gains on sale.

Related calculators

For learning, not filing

VestingTax.com is not a CPA firm or tax preparer. Grants, employers, and states all differ. Use the cited IRS and state sources above, your own documents, and a qualified tax professional before you make decisions from this guide.

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