Question
Hunter is a single 45-year-old who is employed by an engineering firm that includes a diverse array of taxable and nontaxable fringe benefits within the
Hunter is a single 45-year-old who is employed by an engineering firm that includes a diverse array of taxable and nontaxable fringe benefits within the overall compensation package it offers its employees. Employees receive a base salary in addition to occasional incentive awards (i.e. bonuses); the incentive awards are often in the form of noncash perks. The company also offers different forms of equity-based compensation to reward its highest performing employees.
Hunter does not itemize deductions, and he does not have any available tax credits or estimated tax payments. His employer withheld $23,668 from his paychecks for income tax withholding.
Hunter's base salary for calendar-year 2018 was $101,350. He embarked on an all-expenses-paid 5-day Caribbean cruise in April 2018, which he received from his employer in lieu of a cash bonus. The cruise and related travel expenses would have cost Hunter $4,025 if had paid for the trip out-of-pocket. His employer agreed to give Hunter an extra $1,375 in cash to cover his tax liability on the value of the cruise (referred to as a "tax gross-up"). Tax gross-up payments are included on an employee's paycheck as ordinary wages subject to income and payroll taxes.
Hunter also took advantage of the following pre-tax payroll deductions:
- Annual employee contribution to employer's 401(k) qualified plan = 6% * $101,350 base salary = $6,081/year (his employer provides a 75% match as well, i.e. $4,560.75/year)
- Annual employee contribution to a flexible spending account ("FSA") = $2,400/year
- Annual employee contribution to health insurance plan = $1,440/year
A summary of the above-mentioned compensation details is provided in the following table:
Description | 2018 Amount |
Base salary | $101,350 |
Non-cash incentive award - all-expenses-paid cruise vacation | $4,025 |
Tax gross-up for the non-cash incentive award | $1,375 |
Payroll deduction - Employee 401(k) contributions | $6,081 |
Payroll deduction - Employee FSA contributions | $2,400 |
Payroll deduction - Employee portion of insurance premiums | $1,440 |
Income taxes withheld from paychecks | $23,668 |
Hunter is a highly-valued engineer at the company and thus has been rewarded quite handsomely the past few years with several equity-based compensation awards. In 2018 Hunter decided to sell 4,360 shares of stock that he received pursuant to the terms of these awards.
Type of Equity Award | Section 83(b) Election? | Number of Options/Shares Granted | Grant Date | FMV/share @ Grant (Exercise Price) | Vest Date | FMV/Share @ Vest | Exercise Date | FMV/Share @ Exercise | Number of Shares Sold | Sale Date | Sales Proceeds per Share |
Restricted Stock | Yes | 610 shares | 1/1/2016 | $9.50 | 1/1/2018 | $11.75 | 610 | 5/1/2018 | $17.50 | ||
Restricted Stock | No | 950 shares | 1/1/2017 | $11.30 | 1/1/2018 | $11.75 | 950 | 5/1/2018 | $17.50 | ||
Restricted Stock | Yes | 1,225 shares | 1/1/2018 | $11.75 | 1/1/2019 | $10.90 | |||||
Nonqualified Stock Options | 100 options - 7 shares per option | 1/1/2016 | $9.50 | 1/1/2017 | $11.30 | 1/1/2017 | $11.30 | 700 | 5/1/2018 | $17.50 | |
Nonqualified Stock Options | 200 options - 7 shares per option | 1/1/2017 | $11.30 | 1/1/2018 | $11.75 | 1/1/2018 | $11.75 | 1,400 | 5/1/2018 | $17.50 | |
Incentive Stock Options | 100 options - 7 shares per option | 1/1/2016 | $9.50 | 1/1/2017 | $11.30 | 1/1/2017 | $11.30 | 700 | 5/1/2018 | $17.50 | |
Incentive Stock Options | 200 options - 7 shares per option | 1/1/2017 | $11.30 | 1/1/2018 | $11.75 | 1/1/2018 | $11.75 |
In addition to his base salary, incentive award and equity-based compensation, Hunter also received the following taxable AND non-taxable fringe benefits from his employer during 2018:
Fringe Benefit | Description | Company's Annual Cost | Hunter's Annual Cost |
Health insurance | The company offers health insurance* to all employees. The monthly premium for each employee is $300, of which the company pays 60% and the employee pays 40% via a pre-tax payroll deduction. *Hunter elected to receive health insurance coverage for 2018. | $2,160/year | $1,440/year |
Accidental death and dismemberment ("AD&D") insurance | The company provides AD&D insurance to all employees, free-of-charge. | $180/year | $0 |
Fitness facility membership | The company offers a fitness facility membership* to all employees, free-of-charge. The fitness facility is not located on the company's business premises and is open to the general public. *Hunter elected to receive a membership in the fitness facility for 2018. | $816/year | $0 |
Employer-provided cell phone | The company provides all engineers with a company phone, due to frequent after-hours client calls as well as the significant number of clients residing outside of the United States. Employees are not allowed to use their company phone to make personal calls. | $444/year | $0 |
Basic group-term life insurance policy | The company provides group-term life insurance ($50,000 policy) to all employees, free-of-charge. | $90/year | $0 |
Supplemental group-term life insurance policy | The company offers supplemental group-term life insurance* to all employees. The supplemental life insurance coverage employees can elect is capped at 8 times their base salary or $500,000, whichever is lower. *Hunter elected to receive the maximum allowable $500,000 in supplemental life insurance for 2018. | $900/year | $240/year |
Employer-provided meals | The company provides catered lunches to all employees on Mondays and Wednesdays, free-of-charge. The meals are furnished for the convenience of the company and are provided on the company's business premises. | $1,352/year | $0 |
Qualified parking | The company provides qualified parking access at a parking garage located on the company's business premises to all employees, free-of-charge. | $3,900/year ($325/month) | $0 |
Compute Hunter's long-term capital gain he must include in taxable income as a result of his 2018 stock sales.
Combine the long-term capital gain from each type of equity-based compensation award (if applicable) - i.e. if the long-term capital gain was $10 for the restricted stock, $12 for the NSOs and $8 for the ISOs, your answer would be $30.
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