Section 83(b) Election Form for Restricted Stock

Streamline Your Section 83(b) Election Filing with Paperform

Filing a Section 83(b) election is one of the most important tax decisions startup employees and founders can make when receiving restricted stock. This election allows you to pay taxes on the fair market value of your shares at the time of grant rather than at vesting, potentially saving thousands in future tax liability. However, the 30-day filing deadline is strict, and missing it can have significant financial consequences.

Our Section 83(b) Election Form template is designed specifically for startup employees, founders, tax advisors, accountants, and HR professionals who need a reliable, compliant way to gather the required information, calculate fair market values, and ensure timely IRS submission.

Who This Template Is For

This form is perfect for:

• Startup employees and founders receiving restricted stock awards who want to minimize their future tax burden
• Tax advisors and accountants helping clients navigate equity compensation and early exercise options
• HR and finance teams at growing companies managing equity grants and ensuring compliance
• Legal professionals assisting with corporate formation and employee equity arrangements
• Anyone who has received restricted stock and needs to file within the critical 30-day window

Why Section 83(b) Elections Matter

When you receive restricted stock that vests over time, the IRS normally taxes you on the difference between what you paid and the fair market value at each vesting date. If your company's value increases significantly between grant and vesting, you could face a substantial tax bill—even if you haven't sold any shares.

A Section 83(b) election lets you "lock in" your tax basis at the grant date. You pay ordinary income tax on the bargain element immediately (often minimal or zero for early-stage companies), then any future appreciation is taxed as capital gains when you eventually sell. This strategy is particularly powerful for early employees at startups with low initial valuations.

The catch? You must file with the IRS within 30 days of receiving the stock, and there are no extensions or second chances if you miss the deadline.

What This Template Includes

Our comprehensive form captures all the essential information required for a complete Section 83(b) election:

Grant Information Collection: Document the restricted stock grant date, number of shares, vesting schedule, and purchase price to establish your tax basis.

Fair Market Value Determination: Calculate the FMV per share at grant date using your company's most recent 409A valuation or other appropriate valuation methods, with built-in calculations for total FMV and bargain element.

Personal and Tax Information: Gather all required taxpayer identification including name, SSN, address, and employment details formatted for IRS submission.

Company Information: Capture complete details about the issuing company including EIN, legal name, and address as required on Form 83(b).

Filing Deadline Tracking: Automatic calculation of your 30-day filing deadline based on the grant date, with clear reminders about the importance of timely submission.

Submission Checklist: Step-by-step guidance on how to submit the election to the IRS, your employer, and include it with your tax return, ensuring nothing is overlooked.

Document Generation Ready: All information organized in the proper format to prepare your official Section 83(b) election statement for IRS submission.

How Paperform Makes Section 83(b) Filing Easier

Using Paperform for Section 83(b) elections gives you powerful advantages:

Automated Calculations: Built-in calculation fields automatically compute your total stock value, bargain element, and tax implications based on the information you enter, reducing errors and saving time.

Deadline Management: The form automatically calculates your filing deadline and can trigger reminders, helping you avoid the costly mistake of missing the 30-day window.

Professional Documentation: Generate clean, organized information that can be easily transferred to the official IRS election statement, ensuring compliance with all requirements.

Secure Data Collection: SOC 2 Type II compliance means sensitive tax and financial information is protected with enterprise-grade security, giving you and your clients peace of mind.

Streamlined Workflows with Stepper: Connect this form to Stepper to automate your entire Section 83(b) workflow—automatically generate the election document, send reminder emails as the deadline approaches, notify your tax advisor, update your client database, and create task reminders for IRS submission and recordkeeping.

Multi-Client Management: Tax advisors and accountants using Paperform's Agency+ plan can manage Section 83(b) elections for multiple clients from a single dashboard, with custom branding for each firm.

For tax professionals, this template eliminates the repetitive data entry that comes with helping multiple clients file elections. For individuals, it provides the structure and guidance needed to navigate this complex but critical tax decision with confidence.

Integrating Section 83(b) Forms into Your Practice

If you're a tax advisor or accounting firm, you can embed this form on your website to capture client information before consultation calls, use it as part of your startup advisory services, or include it in equity compensation packages.

For startup HR and finance teams, this template can be automatically sent to new employees or founders when restricted stock grants are issued, with submissions flowing directly into your equity management system via integrations with tools like Carta, Pulley, or your internal tracking spreadsheet through Google Sheets or Airtable connections.

Founders and employees can use this form as a personal checklist to ensure they've gathered all necessary information before preparing their election, reducing the risk of errors or omissions that could invalidate the filing.

Beyond the 83(b): Building a Complete Equity Tax Solution

While Section 83(b) elections are critical for restricted stock, they're just one piece of the equity compensation puzzle. Paperform makes it easy to create complementary forms for other equity-related workflows:

• ISO (Incentive Stock Option) exercise forms with AMT calculations
• RSU (Restricted Stock Unit) acceptance and tax withholding elections
• Employee equity information requests for annual tax planning
• Capital gains tracking forms for eventual stock sales
• 409A valuation information requests for finance teams

All of these forms can work together as part of an integrated equity management system, with Stepper orchestrating the handoffs between each step.

Trusted by Tax Professionals and Startups Alike

Tax compliance shouldn't be complicated by clunky software or confusing forms. Paperform gives you the flexibility to create forms that look professional, work intuitively, and integrate seamlessly with the tools you already use—whether that's your CRM, document management system, or accounting software.

With over 500,000 teams worldwide trusting Paperform for their critical business workflows, you're in good company. Our SOC 2 Type II compliance and GDPR readiness mean your clients' sensitive financial information is protected at every step.

Get Started in Minutes

This Section 83(b) Election Form template is ready to use right out of the box, or you can customize it to match your firm's branding, add specific questions for your practice, or adjust the calculations based on your preferred methodology.

Whether you're filing your first election as a startup founder or you're a seasoned tax professional managing dozens of clients, Paperform gives you the tools to make Section 83(b) filings accurate, timely, and stress-free.

Important Note: This form template is designed to help collect information for Section 83(b) elections. Users should consult with qualified tax advisors or attorneys before filing any election with the IRS. Paperform does not provide tax or legal advice.