SaaS & Tech Founders
From seed round to nine-figure exit — taxed like you planned it.
Equity events, R&D credits, and QSBS planning that pays for itself before your Series B.
The patterns that cost you most.
ISO/NSO confusion
You exercised options, AMT hit, and no one warned you about the cash crunch.
QSBS left on the table
Founders skip the 5-year clock or fail Section 1202 qualification by accident.
R&D credits ignored
Engineering payroll qualifies for federal and state credits — most startups never claim them.
Strategies that map to your reality.
QSBS qualification audit
We trace every share class, contribution, and conversion to lock in Section 1202 eligibility from day one.
ISO exercise modeling
Multi-year AMT projections show the optimal exercise window — early enough to start the clock, late enough to manage cash.
R&D credit study
We document qualifying engineering, product, and prototyping spend for federal and state R&D credits — including the new payroll offset for early-stage companies.
$1.4M in federal tax avoided on a $42M exit through QSBS stacking
The founder held 100% of his qualifying QSBS shares personally, capping the §1202 exclusion at $10M.
FAQs.
When should I exercise my ISOs?+
It depends on your strike, current 409A, AMT exposure, and exit timeline. We model 3-5 scenarios per founder and recommend a vesting-aware exercise calendar.
Does my company qualify for QSBS?+
C-corp status, gross assets under $50M at issuance, qualified trade or business, and 5-year hold. We audit each requirement and document compliance.
Ready for an industry-specific strategy?
Book a strategy call. We'll review your last return and identify exposure before quoting any engagement.
Book a strategy call