9 June 2022 13:17

Employer reported ESPP ordinary income on wrong year’s W-2

Is ESPP ordinary income included in W-2?

The information on your W-2 is used to fill out tax form 1040. Even if your employer doesn’t report the income from an ESPP on your W-2, you’re still responsible for reporting and paying ordinary income tax. ESPP income will usually be included with your other compensation in box 1.

How do I report ordinary income from ESPP?

So you must report $225 on line 7 on the Form 1040 as “ESPP Ordinary Income.” You must also report the sale of your stock on Schedule D, Part II as a long-term sale. It’s long term because there is over one year between the date acquired (6/30/2017) and the date of sale (1/20/2021).

What if cost basis is wrong?

If the cost basis you report is too low, then you will overpay taxes. The cost basis is especially tricky to understand when you sold stock you acquired from employee stock compensation, such as stock options, restricted stock units, or an employee stock purchase plan.

What is ESPP ordinary income?

When you buy stock under an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), the income isn’t taxable at the time you buy it. You’ll recognize the income and pay tax on it when you sell the stock. When you sell the stock, the income can be either ordinary or capital gain.

What if the wrong cost basis is reported on my 1099-B?

If the cost basis amount reported on Form 1099-B does not match your adjusted cost basis per your records, you will include adjustment code B on your tax return. Compensation income reported on Form W-2 most likely is not included in your cost basis on Form 1099-B and will require an adjustment amount using code B.

How do you avoid double tax on ESPP?

To get the biggest tax break, hold stock purchased through employee stock purchase plans for at least two years from the offering date and at least one year from the purchase date. Even if you hold stock long enough to get this tax break, some of your profit will be taxed as ordinary income.

How is ordinary income calculated?

For individuals, ordinary income usually consists of the pretax salaries and wages they have earned. In a corporate setting, ordinary income comes from regular day-to-day business operations, excluding income gained from selling capital assets.

What amount of income is recognized if the holding period requirement is not met for stock acquired through an employee stock purchase plan?

When you don’t satisfy the ESPP holding periods (more than two years from enrollment and one year from purchase), you have compensation income in the year of sale equal to the spread at purchase, i.e. the difference between the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date and the discounted price you actually …

What is adjusted cost basis for ESPP?

For ESPP shares, the cost basis is the discounted purchase price, plus the compensatory income recognized on Form W-2. Under new IRS rules, starting in 2014, brokers who sell any ESPP shares will only be allowed to report the discounted purchase price of ESPP shares as the cost basis on Form 1099-B.

How do I enter ESPP on Turbotax?


Quote: With your return open in turbotax search for 1099-b. And select the jump to link have your 1099-b form 3922 for the shares you sold and w-2 or year-end pay stub available for reference.

Are stock options reported on W-2?

Your W-2 includes income from any other compensation sources you may have, such as stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, employee stock purchase plans, and cash bonuses.

What is a disqualifying disposition ESPP?

• Qualifying dispositions occur when shares are held for the required holding periods — which means they’ll receive a more preferential tax treatment. • Disqualifying dispositions occur when the shares are not held for the required holding periods — which means they won’t receive preferential tax treatment.

Do I need to report disqualifying disposition ESPP?

In a disqualifying disposition of ESPP shares bought at a discount, you must report compensation income even if the stock value went down before you sold the shares, leaving you with a loss.

How are disqualifying dispositions taxed?

A disqualifying disposition results in ordinary income on the disposition date rather than the exercise date (although those may sometimes be the same date), and the ordinary income from a disqualifying disposition is not subject to income and payroll tax withholding, but ordinary income from the exercise of an NSO is …

How do you avoid disqualifying disposition?

To avoid a disqualifying disposition you have to hold the stock you acquired by exercising your ISO beyond the later of the following two dates:

  1. One year after the date you exercised the ISO, or.
  2. Two years after the date your employer granted the ISO to you.


What should be reported in Box 14 of W-2?

Box 14 — Employers can use W-2 box 14 to report information like:

  • A member of the clergy’s parsonage allowance and utilities.
  • Any charitable contribution made through payroll deductions.
  • Educational assistance payments.
  • Health insurance premium deductions.
  • Nontaxable income.
  • State disability insurance taxes withheld.

How much tax do you pay on ESPP?

ESPP Tax Rules for Disqualifying Dispositions

; Ordinary Income Short-Term Capital Gains
Less than 2 years after offering and less than 1 year after purchase $50 – $34 = $16 per share $100 – $50 = $50
Tax Owed $352 $1,100
Total Tax Owed $1,452


How do I report employee stock options on tax return?

When you buy an open-market option, you’re not responsible for reporting any information on your tax return. However, when you sell an option—or the stock you acquired by exercising the option—you must report the profit or loss on Schedule D of your Form 1040.

How do I report form 3922 on my tax return?

IRS Form 3922 Transfer of Stock Acquired Through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan Under Section 423(c) is for informational purposes only and is not entered into your return. You will need this information when you sell the stock, so the form should be kept for your records.

Do I have to report Box 12 D on my tax return?

The Affordable Care Act requires employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on an employee’s Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, in Box 12, using Code DD.

What is Box 12b code D on W-2?

D – Elective deferral under a Section 401(k) cash or arrangement plan. This includes a SIMPLE 401(k) arrangement.

What does Box 12b DD mean on W-2?

Box 12 with code DD of the W-2 is the amount that your company paid for health care that it provided for you. You report the amount but it will not have any affect on your tax return.