San Francisco Employment Attorneys & Lawyers

What are Incentive Stock Options?

Incentive stock options (ISOs) are a type of stock option typically given to key employees or management to purchase stock in the company and can result in a better tax treatment.

Incentive Stock Options vs. Nonqualified Stock Options

Other options that may be available to employees who are not considered key employees or upper management may be eligible for nonqualified stock options or NSOs.

Unlike NSOs, an ISO would be treated favorably for tax purposes. When an ISO is exercised, the employee need not claim the income. When they sell the stock, the gains are taxed as ordinary income rates rather than at capital gains rates. It is important to be aware that the tax benefits are

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Learn More about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

You’ve heard the term over and over throughout the years, but what exactly is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)? The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. It is also referred to as the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. The Act was implemented to impr

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What Are Payroll Taxes?

Payroll taxes are taxes which are imposed on employers and employees by federal, state, and local governments. Payroll tax is different than income tax since payroll tax is all the other taxes that aren’t income taxes that are taken out of your check.

The employer and employee split payroll tax half and half. The employer is required to withhold the amount of the employee's share of the payroll tax and submit to the IRS and the state along with payroll tax return.

Needless to say, young entrepreneurs see payroll tax as a big hassle and somewhere along the way, they are told to treat all of their workers as independent contractors so the entrepreneur c

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Updated June 24, 2020:

How Much Does It Cost to Patent an Idea?

If you have an idea to patent, there are two ways to approach it. You can:

• Write your own patent application. This is the cheapest way to get your patent application done. It costs an average of $900 for most inventors to receive a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• Hire a patent attorney to file your application. With this option, you will hire a patent agent or attorney who will help you perform the research and fill out the patent application with the USPTO. This route can run anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the complexity and amount of time the application takes.

During a typical patent for an invention or process, much of the expense outside of advisor fees are fees imposed by the USPTO. Some of the fees as

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Updated November 2, 2020: 

Preferred stock is a special class of equity that adds debt features. As with common stock, shareholders receive a share of ownership in the company. Preferred stock also receives special rights, including guaranteed dividends that must be paid out before dividends to common shareholders, priority in the event of a liquidation, is listed separately from common stock, and trades at a different price than common stock.

Why Is Preferred Stock Important?

Preferred stock gives you a financing alternative to taking on debt. You generally maintain greater control over your company than if you issue new common shares.

You can also re

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