Internal Revenue Code · 26 U.S.C.

§ 423. Employee stock purchase plans

In force Text current through Public Law 119-121 (October 9, 2026) release point 119-121

Official text, no changes From the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, release point 119-121 (current through Public Law 119-121 (October 9, 2026)). Compare it with the official text at uscode.house.gov (external site).

Cite as 26 U.S.C. § 423

At a glance

Read from the text, the source credit and the official notes. Not part of the law.

Status: In force
Added: February 26, 1964 by Pub. L. 88–272
Last amended: December 22, 2017 by Pub. L. 115–97
Amendments: 7 dated changes in the source credit
Length: 4 subsections · 1,363 words · about 6 min to read
Defines: 1 term
Cross-references: cites 4; cited by 8 Code sections and 11 other regulations
Regulations: 2 issued under this section

¶(a) General rule Section 421(a) shall apply with respect to the transfer of a share of stock to an individual pursuant to his exercise of an option granted under an employee stock purchase plan (as defined in subsection (b)) if—

¶(1) no disposition of such share is made by him within 2 years after the date of the granting of the option nor within 1 year after the transfer of such share to him; and

¶(2) at all times during the period beginning with the date of the granting of the option and ending on the day 3 months before the date of such exercise, he is an employee of the corporation granting such option, a parent or subsidiary corporation of such corporation, or a corporation or a parent or subsidiary corporation of such corporation issuing or assuming a stock option in a transaction to which section 424(a) applies.

¶(b) Employee stock purchase plan For purposes of this part, the term “employee stock purchase plan” means a plan which meets the following requirements:

¶(1) the plan provides that options are to be granted only to employees of the employer corporation or of its parent or subsidiary corporation to purchase stock in any such corporation;

¶(2) such plan is approved by the stockholders of the granting corporation within 12 months before or after the date such plan is adopted;

¶(3) under the terms of the plan, no employee can be granted an option if such employee, immediately after the option is granted, owns stock possessing 5 percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the employer corporation or of its parent or subsidiary corporation. For purposes of this paragraph, the rules of section 424(d) shall apply in determining the stock ownership of an individual, and stock which the employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as stock owned by the employee;

¶(4) under the terms of the plan, options are to be granted to all employees of any corporation whose employees are granted any of such options by reason of their employment by such corporation, except that there may be excluded—

¶(A) employees who have been employed less than 2 years,

¶(B) employees whose customary employment is 20 hours or less per week,

¶(C) employees whose customary employment is for not more than 5 months in any calendar year, and

¶(D) highly compensated employees (within the meaning of section 414(q));

¶(5) under the terms of the plan, all employees granted such options shall have the same rights and privileges, except that the amount of stock which may be purchased by any employee under such option may bear a uniform relationship to the total compensation, or the basic or regular rate of compensation, of employees, the plan may provide that no employee may purchase more than a maximum amount of stock fixed under the plan, and the rules of section 83(i) shall apply in determining which employees have a right to make an election under such section;

¶(6) under the terms of the plan, the option price is not less than the lesser of—

¶(A) an amount equal to 85 percent of the fair market value of the stock at the time such option is granted, or

¶(B) an amount which under the terms of the option may not be less than 85 percent of the fair market value of the stock at the time such option is exercised;

¶(7) under the terms of the plan, such option cannot be exercised after the expiration of—

¶(A) 5 years from the date such option is granted if, under the terms of such plan, the option price is to be not less than 85 percent of the fair market value of such stock at the time of the exercise of the option, or

¶(B) 27 months from the date such option is granted, if the option price is not determinable in the manner described in subparagraph (A);

¶(8) under the terms of the plan, no employee may be granted an option which permits his rights to purchase stock under all such plans of his employer corporation and its parent and subsidiary corporations to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of fair market value of such stock (determined at the time such option is granted) for each calendar year in which such option is outstanding at any time. For purposes of this paragraph—

¶(A) the right to purchase stock under an option accrues when the option (or any portion thereof) first becomes exercisable during the calendar year;

¶(B) the right to purchase stock under an option accrues at the rate provided in the option, but in no case may such rate exceed $25,000 of fair market value of such stock (determined at the time such option is granted) for any one calendar year; and

¶(C) a right to purchase stock which has accrued under one option granted pursuant to the plan may not be carried over to any other option; and

¶(9) under the terms of the plan, such option is not transferable by such individual otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable, during his lifetime, only by him.

For purposes of paragraphs (3) to (9), inclusive, where additional terms are contained in an offering made under a plan, such additional terms shall, with respect to options exercised under such offering, be treated as a part of the terms of such plan.

¶(c) Special rule where option price is between 85 percent and 100 percent of value of stock If the option price of a share of stock acquired by an individual pursuant to a transfer to which subsection (a) applies was less than 100 percent of the fair market value of such share at the time such option was granted, then, in the event of any disposition of such share by him which meets the holding period requirements of subsection (a), or in the event of his death (whenever occurring) while owning such share, there shall be included as compensation (and not as gain upon the sale or exchange of a capital asset) in his gross income, for the taxable year in which falls the date of such disposition or for the taxable year closing with his death, whichever applies, an amount equal to the lesser of—

¶(1) the excess of the fair market value of the share at the time of such disposition or death over the amount paid for the share under the option, or

¶(2) the excess of the fair market value of the share at the time the option was granted over the option price.

If the option price is not fixed or determinable at the time the option is granted, then for purposes of this subsection, the option price shall be determined as if the option were exercised at such time. In the case of the disposition of such share by the individual, the basis of the share in his hands at the time of such disposition shall be increased by an amount equal to the amount so includible in his gross income. No amount shall be required to be deducted and withheld under chapter 24 with respect to any amount treated as compensation under this subsection.

¶(d) Coordination with qualified equity grants

An option for which an election is made under section 83(i) with respect to the stock received in connection with its exercise shall not be considered as granted pursuant an employee stock purchase plan.

(Added Pub. L. 88–272, title II, § 221(a), Feb. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 67; amended Pub. L. 94–455, title XIV, § 1402(b)(1)(E), (2), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1732; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title X, § 1001(b)(5), (e), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1011, 1012; Pub. L. 99–514, title XI, § 1114(b)(13), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2451; Pub. L. 101–508, title XI, § 11801(c)(9)(D), (E), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–525; Pub. L. 108–357, title II, § 251(c), Oct. 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 1459; Pub. L. 113–295, div. A, title II, § 221(a)(56), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4046; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 13603(c)(1)(B), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2164.)

Terms defined here

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employee stock purchase plan § 423(b)

Regulations under this section

Treasury regulations (26 CFR) issued under § 423

Cross-references

Computed from the citations in the text of Title 26 and 26 CFR.

This section cites 4 other sections

Cited by 8 Code sections

Cited in 11 regulations not issued under it

Amendment history

From the source credit and the official notes, newest first.

December 22, 2017Amended by Pub. L. 115–97Parts changed in 2017: (b)(5) (d)
December 19, 2014Amended by Pub. L. 113–295Parts changed in 2014: (a)
October 22, 2004Amended by Pub. L. 108–357Parts changed in 2004: (c)
November 5, 1990Amended by Pub. L. 101–508Parts changed in 1990: (a) (a)(2) (b)(3)
October 22, 1986Amended by Pub. L. 99–514Parts changed in 1986: (b)(4)(D)
July 18, 1984Amended by Pub. L. 98–369Parts changed in 1984: (a)(1)
October 4, 1976Amended by Pub. L. 94–455Parts changed in 1976: (a)(1)
February 26, 1964Added by Pub. L. 88–272

Where it sits in the Code

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Official notes

Show the Law Revision Counsel's notes (amendments, effective dates)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 115–97, § 13603(c)(1)(B)(i), struck out “and” before “the plan may provide” and inserted “, and the rules of section 83(i) shall apply in determining which employees have a right to make an election under such section” before semicolon at end.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–97, § 13603(c)(1)(B)(ii), added subsec. (d).

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–295 struck out “after December 31, 1963,” after “option granted” in introductory provisions.

2004—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 108–357 inserted at end of concluding provisions “No amount shall be required to be deducted and withheld under chapter 24 with respect to any amount treated as compensation under this subsection.”

1990—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–508, § 11801(c)(9)(D)(i), struck out “(other than a restricted stock option granted pursuant to a plan described in section 424(c)(3)(B))” after “December 31, 1963”.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 101–508, § 11801(c)(9)(D)(ii), substituted “424(a)” for “425(a)”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 101–508, § 11801(c)(9)(E), substituted “424(d)” for “425(d)”.

1986—Subsec. (b)(4)(D). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “highly compensated employees (within the meaning of section 414(q))” for “officers, persons whose principal duties consist of supervising the work of other employees, or highly compensated employees”.

1984—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 98–369 substituted “6 months” for “1 year”, applicable to property acquired after June 22, 1984, and before Jan. 1, 1988. See Effective Date of 1984 Amendment note below.

1976—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 94–455, § 1402(b)(2), provided that “9 months” would be changed to “1 year”.

Pub. L. 94–455, § 1402(b)(1)(E), provided that “6 months” would be changed to “9 months” for taxable years beginning in 1977.

Effective Date of 2017 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–97 applicable to stock attributable to options exercised, or restricted stock units settled, after Dec. 31, 2017, see section 13603(f)(1) of Pub. L. 115–97, set out as a note under section 83 of this title.

Effective Date of 2014 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 113–295 effective Dec. 19, 2014, subject to a savings provision, see section 221(b) of Pub. L. 113–295, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Effective Date of 2004 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 108–357 applicable to stock acquired pursuant to options exercised after Oct. 22, 2004, see section 251(d) of Pub. L. 108–357, set out as a note under section 421 of this title.

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–514 applicable to years beginning after Dec. 31, 1986, see section 1114(c)(1) of Pub. L. 99–514, set out as a note under section 414 of this title.

Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–369 applicable to property acquired after June 22, 1984, and before Jan. 1, 1988, see section 1001(e) of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as a note under section 166 of this title.

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Pub. L. 94–455, title XIV, § 1402(b)(1), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1731, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective with respect to taxable years beginning in 1977.

Pub. L. 94–455, title XIV, § 1402(b)(2), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1732, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective with respect to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1977.

Effective Date

Section applicable to taxable years ending after Dec. 31, 1963, see section 221(e) of Pub. L. 88–272, set out as an Effective Date of 1964 Amendment note under section 421 of this title.

Regulations

Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate to issue before Feb. 1, 1988, final regulations to carry out amendments made by section 1114 of Pub. L. 99–514, see section 1141 of Pub. L. 99–514, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.

Savings Provision

For provisions that nothing in amendment by Pub. L. 101–508 be construed to affect treatment of certain transactions occurring, property acquired, or items of income, loss, deduction, or credit taken into account prior to Nov. 5, 1990, for purposes of determining liability for tax for periods ending after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 11821(b) of Pub. L. 101–508, set out as a note under section 45K of this title.

Plan Amendments Not Required Until January 1, 1989

For provisions directing that if any amendments made by subtitle A or subtitle C of title XI [§§ 1101–1147 and 1171–1177] or title XVIII [§§ 1800–1899A] of Pub. L. 99–514 require an amendment to any plan, such plan amendment shall not be required to be made before the first plan year beginning on or after Jan. 1, 1989, see section 1140 of Pub. L. 99–514, as amended, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.