What a load of horse shit this is. I exercise an option and now own shares of the company I work for (I was given options years ago). I now have to pay a taxable benefit for this privilege? Sure, on paper, I have made good money. But What if the stock goes to zero? Then will I get this money back? (Rhetorical question - of course I won't). This is obscene. Why can I not just pay tax on it if and when I decide to sell like a normal capital gain? Fuck this country.
They sure do have some clever ways to get us different ways don't they so that it hurts twice. Make a lot of money here via the markets...they're getting a lot of it.