Seattle, WA
Equity Comp in Seattle
Amazon RSU back-loaded vesting (5/15/40/40), Microsoft RSU + ESPP + bonus, AWS pre-public-equity instruments. WA has no income tax but 7% capital-gains tax above $262k applies to RSU sale gains held over 1 year.
Why Equity Comp planning is different in Seattle
Seattle is pacific northwest tech hub anchored by amazon, microsoft, and a no-state-income-tax structure that magnifies equity comp. The combination of Tech (Amazon, Microsoft), aerospace (Boeing), biotech (Fred Hutch), retail (Starbucks, Nordstrom). shapes how residents approach equity comp — including which tax levers apply, how state rules layer onto federal treatment, and where the highest-yield planning opportunities sit.
Seattle at a glance
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Population
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Median household
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Home ownership
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Median home
Notable neighborhoods
Capitol Hill · Queen Anne · Magnolia · Madison Park · Laurelhurst · Mercer Island · Bellevue · Kirkland · Redmond · Sammamish · Medina · Clyde Hill
Local landmarks
Space Needle · Amazon Spheres · Microsoft Redmond Campus · Pike Place Market · Boeing Everett · Lake Washington
Local challenges this content addresses
- Washington 7% capital-gains tax (since 2022) on gains over $262k
- WA estate tax exemption $2.193M
- Tech-stock concentration risk (Amazon, Microsoft RSUs)
What equity comp planning covers
- RSU sell-at-vest vs. hold modeling with concentration-risk analysis
- ISO/AMT exposure calculations and exercise-timing strategy
- ESPP qualifying-disposition vs. ordinary-income tax-impact analysis
- 83(b) election decision support for early-stage employees
- 10b5-1 plan structure and trading-window guidance
Decision-stage resources
Model the numbers for your situation:
Seattle starter kit
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