Know Exactly How Many ISOs You Can Exercise
Before AMT Hits
Exercise one share beyond your limit and you could owe $20,000–$50,000 in AMT—on gains you haven't even realized. Find your exact crossover point in 60 seconds.
Results in 60 seconds • Detailed analysis
Your AMT-Free Exercise Limit
Safe Exercise
Shares
15,247
Total Tax
$12,400
AMT
$0
Over Limit
Shares
20,000
Total Tax
$28,600
AMT
$16,200
Built for equity holders at
From Confused to Confident in Under 5 Minutes
No spreadsheets. No guessing. Just your exact number.
Enter Your Options
Strike price, current valuation (409A), vested shares, grant dates. Find this in your Carta, Shareworks, or Pulley dashboard. Supports multiple grants.
Add Your Income
W-2 salary, filing status, state, and any RSU/NSO income. We handle CA's 14.3% total rate, NY's 10.9%, and more.
Get Your Crossover Point
Your exact AMT-free limit, 3 scenario comparison, and detailed analysis to validate with your tax advisor.
See How Much AMT You Could Avoid
Adjust the sliders below to see how your crossover point changes
* Simplified demo. Full calculation uses IRS Form 6251 with state taxes and deductions.
Your Professional Tax Analysis
Comprehensive results with everything your CPA needs to verify the calculation
Get Your Exact AMT-Free Limit
Professional-grade analysis at a fraction of CPA costs.
CPA Consultation
$1,500–$2,500
2-3 week wait
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billed annually at $149/yr
Results in 60 seconds
Questions? Contact us
Just need one calculation? Run it free, then unlock the exact result for $29 — no subscription.
CPA-Grade Accuracy. No CPA Price Tag.
Every calculation follows IRS Form 6251 line by line — the same methodology your CPA uses.
Cost
Time to get answer
Multiple scenario modeling
Accounts for state taxes
CPA-ready report
Accuracy for complex situations
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee — If your CPA disagrees with our numbers, full refund. No questions asked.
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Every number is sourced
Cited to IRS & state DOR
Every figure traces to an official table.
We never sell your data
No account needed to calculate.
The Cost of Not Knowing Your Limit
A staff engineer at a Series D startup exercised 15,000 ISOs in December, expecting roughly $12,000 in taxes based on their regular income. Three months later: a $63,000 bill from the IRS. They exceeded their AMT crossover point by just 200 shares—$53,000 in avoidable tax because they didn't know the exact limit.
Bottom line: Our calculator finds your exact AMT crossover point so you can exercise the maximum number of ISOs without triggering surprise tax bills. In 60 seconds, you'll know exactly how many options to exercise.
The Exercise Decision That Keeps ISO Holders Up at Night
Without knowing your AMT crossover point, you're flying blind
"A friend paid $47K in AMT that completely blindsided him"
AMT is a parallel tax system that kicks in when your ISO "bargain element" gets too large. The brutal part? You owe tax on paper gains—stock you can't even sell yet. One extra share beyond your crossover point can trigger a five-figure bill.
Know Your Exact Crossover Point
We calculate your exact crossover point—the maximum number of shares you can exercise with $0 additional AMT. Our engine follows IRS Form 6251 line-by-line, testing every possible exercise amount.
"I have 50,000 vested ISOs. Do I exercise 10K? 25K? All of them?"
Exercise too conservatively and you leave money on the table. Exercise too aggressively and you're hit with a massive AMT bill—on stock you might not be able to sell for years. Without knowing your exact crossover point, every exercise is a guess.
Compare 3 Scenarios Side-by-Side
See conservative, optimal, and aggressive strategies with exact tax calculations for each. Make data-driven decisions, not guesses.
"It's December 26th. Every CPA I call is booked until January."
You need to exercise before December 31st to optimize this year's taxes. But your CPA is slammed—a two-week wait, and consultations run $1,500-$2,500. By the time they get back to you, the deadline has passed.
Get Your Answer Now—Not in 2 Weeks
Get detailed results you can share with your CPA for validation. From $49/month vs. $1,500+ for a CPA consultation.
Stop guessing. Get your exact AMT-free limit now.
Find My Safe Exercise Limit →Three Decisions Where Your Crossover Point Changes Everything
Common scenarios where knowing your exact limit matters most
The Pre-IPO Exerciser
Situation
Company filed S-1, expects to go public in 6-12 months
Challenge
Wants to start the long-term capital gains clock before IPO pricing drives FMV sky-high
How They Use It
Model exercise scenarios at current 409A valuation to find the safe maximum before AMT kicks in
“Exercise now, pay less later”
The Job Changer
Situation
Accepted a new role, has 90 days to decide on vested ISOs
Challenge
Exercise too many = AMT bill on stock they can't sell. Exercise too few = leave value on the table.
How They Use It
Find the exact safe exercise amount before the post-termination deadline expires
“Make the 90-day decision with confidence”
The Year-End Optimizer
Situation
December, wants to exercise before EOY for tax planning
Challenge
No time to wait 2-3 weeks for a CPA consultation—needs an answer now
How They Use It
Get instant results to hit the December 31 deadline without guessing
“Beat the deadline, not your budget”
Want just the safe number? Try our free AMT-Free ISO Exercise Limit Calculator — it finds how many ISOs you can exercise this year without triggering AMT, and the AMT bill if you exercise everything.
Stop Guessing.
Know Your Exact Limit.
Find your AMT-free exercise limit in 60 seconds with IRS Form 6251 methodology
30-day money-back guarantee. If you find any calculation error, or if your CPA identifies any issue with our methodology, we'll refund you immediately—no questions asked.
Common Questions Before You Calculate
Everything you need to know about finding your AMT-free exercise limit
Yes. Our AMT engine uses IRS Form 6251 methodology with official tax tables, covering federal brackets, state taxes (CA, NY, WA, TX), and AMT exemptions. Share your results with your tax professional for verification. 30-day money-back guarantee if you find any errors.
Free calculators miss critical factors:
- No state taxes (miss CA's 14.3%, NY's 10.9%)
- No AMT phase-outs at higher incomes
- Can't model multiple grants
- No detailed analysis for CPA verification
ISOs: No regular income tax at exercise, but the bargain element triggers AMT—a surprise tax on paper gains. NSOs: Taxed as W-2 income immediately, no AMT complexity. This calculator finds your ISO AMT crossover point. If you have both, NSO income affects your ISO crossover.
Yes. We handle incomes up to $10M+ with correct phase-outs, all supported states with proper brackets, multiple ISO grants, and RSU/NSO income affecting your crossover. For very complex situations, our detailed results give your tax professional everything they need to verify.
30-day money-back guarantee—full refund if you find any errors. We recommend sharing your results with your tax professional before exercising. The analysis includes full methodology and breakdowns for verification.
Yes. CA has a 1% Mental Health Tax on income over $1M (14.3% total vs 13.3% standard). Most free calculators miss this, causing $10K+ under-estimates. We apply correct phase-ins for all income levels.
Both plans include unlimited calculations. Monthly ($49): Great for one-time decisions. Annual ($149): Recalculate whenever your 409A, salary, or grants change—most users choose this since situations change frequently.
Usually yes—90 days is standard (check your agreement; some companies offer longer). Our calculator helps you decide: exercise all vested options, exercise only your AMT-free limit, or let options expire. Model all three scenarios to compare outcomes.
ISO details: Strike price, vested shares, grant dates (from Carta/Shareworks/Pulley). FMV: Current 409A valuation (ask finance/HR). Income: W-2 salary, bonuses, RSUs. Tax info: Filing status, state, deductions. Takes about 5 minutes to gather.
Still have questions? Email us your situation — we'll help you choose the right approach.
support@myequitytax.com →One Platform for Your Entire Equity Journey
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