Equity & Share Award Tax Specialist

Hong Kong Tax When Your RSUs and Share Awards Vest

Equity awards are charged to salaries tax when they vest in Hong Kong, not when they are granted. If part of the vesting period was served outside Hong Kong, a time-apportionment under the source rules reduces the assessable amount — and it is your BIR60 that has to carry the claim.

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At Vesting Taxable event for RSUs in HK
15% Max effective salaries tax rate
40%+ Typical apportionment savings for expats

Equity & Share Award Tax Specialist

Equity awards are charged to salaries tax when they vest in Hong Kong, not when they are granted. If part of the vesting period was served outside Hong Kong, a time-apportionment under the source rules reduces the assessable amount — and it is your BIR60 that has to carry the claim.

⚠️

⚠ Employer IR56B May Not Correctly Report Your Share Income

Many employers include share award income on IR56B at face value without applying cross-border apportionment. This means you may be assessed on a higher HK-sourced amount than is correct. You must proactively claim the correct apportioned figure in your own BIR60 filing — the IRD will not automatically adjust the employer-reported figure.

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Timing of Taxation at Vesting

RSUs and restricted share awards are taxed at the date of vesting (or date of lifting of restrictions), not at grant. The taxable amount is the market value on the vesting date.

⚠ Risk: Reporting at grant price instead of vesting price → IRD adjustment + interest

Cross-Border Apportionment

If you were employed in multiple countries during the vesting period, only the HK-service proportion of the award is taxable in HK. Many employees never claim this apportionment.

⚠ Risk: Paying full HK tax on awards earned partly offshore → significant overpayment

Foreign Currency Share Awards

USD or GBP denominated shares must be converted to HKD at the Bank of England / HKMA rate on the vesting date for correct reporting.

⚠ Risk: Wrong FX rate → incorrect assessable amount

Multiple Vesting Tranches

Annual or quarterly vesting schedules create multiple taxable events in a single assessment year, each requiring separate calculation.

⚠ Risk: Missing vesting events → underreporting and back-assessment
Pour qui

À qui s'adresse ce service

Tech and finance professionals with RSU packages

Employees of multinationals receiving annual RSU grants as part of their compensation.

Employees relocated to HK mid-vesting-period

Staff who received share grants before moving to HK and are now vesting in HK.

HK employees being transferred abroad

Those leaving HK before their RSUs vest, needing to understand future HK tax obligations on remaining grants.

ESOP participants at pre-IPO companies

Holders of employee share options at companies approaching an IPO or acquisition event.

Directors with share award schemes

Executive directors receiving phantom shares, share appreciation rights, or deferred share awards.

Nos services

Ce que nous couvrons

Vesting Event Tax Calculation

We calculate the assessable value of each RSU/share award vesting event using correct market values.

Including FX conversion at correct rates

Cross-Border Apportionment Analysis

We calculate the HK-service proportion of each award based on your employment history during the vesting period.

Day-count or period-of-service methodology per DIPN 38

BIR60 Share Income Reporting

We report all share income correctly in your annual return, overriding any incorrect IR56B employer reporting.

With supporting schedule showing each vesting event

Stock Option Exercise Planning

For share options, we model the tax impact of exercising in different years and help you time your exercise optimally.

Particularly valuable near retirement or departure from HK

IRD Query Response

We respond to IRD enquiries about share income with fully documented apportionment calculations.

Including employer grant letters and vesting schedules as evidence
Comment ça marche

Simple, efficace, professionnel

1

Grant & Vesting Schedule Review

We collect all equity award agreements, grant letters, and vesting confirmations.

1 day
2

HK-Service Proportion Calculation

We calculate the HK-service proportion of each award using your employment history.

2–3 days
3

Tax Return Schedule Preparation

We prepare a detailed schedule of all vesting events with assessable HK amounts.

2 days
4

BIR60 Filing & Documentation

We file your return with all supporting documentation retained for potential IRD enquiry.

1 day
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Réussites de nos clients

Des résultats concrets pour de vrais clients

Case Study

Technology VP relocated from US to HK mid-vesting

HKD 312,000 Économisé
  • RSU value vested in HK: USD 180,000 equivalent
  • 3-year vesting; 1 year US service / 2 years HK service
  • HK-assessable portion: 2/3 of award
  • Correct apportionment filed vs employer-reported 100%
"TAX.hk saved me from paying HK tax on income I earned while I was still living in the US."
Client vérifié Case Study
Case Study

Finance Director with quarterly RSU vesting + options

HKD 178,000 Économisé
  • 12 RSU vesting events in tax year
  • Share options exercised twice in same year
  • FX conversion errors corrected on employer IR56B
  • Full apportionment analysis filed with supporting schedule
"The complexity of multiple vesting events would have taken me weeks. TAX.hk handled it all systematically."
Client vérifié Case Study
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FAQ

Questions fréquentes

Réponses rapides à vos questions

RSUs (Restricted Stock Units) are taxed at the date of vesting — the date the shares are released to you and any restrictions lift. The assessable amount is the market value of the shares on that date, not the grant price or award price. If you have multiple vesting dates in a year, each is a separate taxable event.

No — only the HK-service portion is assessable in HK. The award is apportioned based on where you were employed during the vesting period. For a 4-year vesting schedule where you spent 2 years in the UK and 2 years in HK, approximately 50% of the award would be HK-sourced (subject to exact day-count calculation). The UK portion is outside HK salaries tax.

No. If you have a cross-border apportionment entitlement, the IR56B may overstate your HK assessable income. You should file your BIR60 declaring the correct apportioned amount, attaching a schedule explaining the calculation. The IRD may initially issue an assessment based on the IR56B, but you can object and provide the correct figures.

Under s.9(1)(d) of the IRO, share options are generally taxed at the time of exercise (for options granted from 1 April 2003 onwards). The taxable amount is the excess of the market value over the exercise price on the exercise date. Options that have not yet been exercised are not yet taxable.

Keep all grant agreements, vesting confirmations, share sale confirmations (showing market price on vesting date), employer statements of share income, and records of where you were working during the vesting period. The IRD may request these for up to 6 years after the relevant assessment year.

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Cette page fournit uniquement des informations générales. Pour un conseil adapté à votre situation, veuillez consulter un professionnel de la fiscalité de Hong Kong qualifié.