Alternative minimum tax (AMT) calculation if exercising an ISO
Category: Financial Planning
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How do you know if you will have to pay AMT? This is important to consider, especially if you plan to exercise and hold Incentive Stock Options (ISOs). Here is a simplified way to determine if you are likely to owe Alternative Minimum
Tax.
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The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) calculation starts with your taxable income figure.
Use your last year's tax return to help estimate you current year's taxable income.
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Add back to your taxable income the total of real estate tax paid AND personal exemptions being claimed.
There are other items that also need to be added back in, but these are less common (such as accelerated depreciation, interest on a home equity loan, electric vehicle credit, etc.)
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Add to that figure the value of the # of shares exercised times the spread.
The "spread" is the difference between your grant price and what the stock was selling for on the date that you exercised (or purchased) the stock.
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Deduct your AMT exemption amount.
You will need to look up the alternative minimum tax exemption figure because it increases every year.
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Now multiply by either 26% or 28%, depending on whether your taxable income figure is above or below the AMT threshold.
You will need to look up this figure because it increases each year.
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If the total is more than your regular tax, then this additional amount is your Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).
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Your AMT tax is also equal to your future AMT credit.
The AMT credit is available in any future year when the regular tax calculation results are more than the AMT tax calculation. So you can think of AMT as a "temporary tax"...if they soothes the pain.
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Use IRS form 6251 for AMT calculation each year.
This way you will know if you qualify for an AMT credit.