---
title: "The RSU Tax Trap Most Tech Execs Don’t See Coming"
url: "https://deltafinancial.com.au/4/rsu-playbook/35/the-rsu-tax-trap-most-tech-execs-don-t-see-coming"
---

## ⚠️The RSU Tax Trap Most Tech Execs Don’t See Coming


Last quarter, I got a call from a VP of Engineering at a US-listed tech company.

His RSUs had just vested. $200K worth.

His company withheld nothing. That’s how Australian ESS rules work the full value lands in his assessable income, taxed at his marginal rate when he lodges his return.

His marginal rate? 47% including Medicare levy.

Tax bill at year end: $94,000.

He hadn’t set aside a cent.

He’d spent the year treating his RSU income like a bonus. New car. Extension on the house. Europe trip.

The ATO didn’t care.

This happens to tech executives every single financial year.


### Are you in this situation right now?

✅ You’re a senior tech exec at Atlassian, Google, Canva, Salesforce, CrowdStrike, or similar

✅ RSUs vest quarterly — and every vest creates a tax event you’re not fully across

✅ Your household income is $400K–$1M+ excluding RSUs but you don’t feel wealthy

✅ You’re in the 47% bracket (including Medicare levy) and haven’t set aside cash for your tax bill

✅ You’ve got lazy equity sitting in your home and you know you could be doing something with it

✅ You know you should have a plan but every time you sit down to think about it, you get overwhelmed and don’t

**If you ticked 3 or more — this playbook was written for you.**