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Level 2
posted Mar 22, 2020 6:38:59 PM

I entered ESPP ordinary income (not included on my W-2 Box 14) under Other Income. It doesn't appear on 1040 line 7a and there is no Schedule 1. Where did it go?

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2 Replies
Expert Alumni
Mar 23, 2020 9:20:18 AM

It depends on where you entered it as Other Income.

 

Your ESPP ordinary income should be included in Box 1 of your W-2.  When the information appears in Box 14 that amount is for informational purposes.

 

If the company purchased the stocks for you, there is no tax due on the shares.

 

When you sell the stock, the discount that you received when you bought the stock is generally considered additional compensation to you, so you have to pay taxes on it as regular income.

 

If you hold the stock for less than a year before you sell it, any gains will be considered compensation and taxed as such. If you hold the shares for more than one year, any profit will be taxed at the usually lower capital gains rate.

 

You need to delete the information you put into Other Income.  When you sell the shares then a taxable event occurs.

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plans 

Level 2
Mar 28, 2020 10:50:06 AM

Thanks! I was trying to enter the qualified ordinary income from the ESPP sale and thought it needed to appear on the 1040 line 7.  I found another thread with the same issue and was advised that it would appear now on line 1 of the 1040 and not line 7 (this was advice from previous years).  I've removed the other income as you advised, redone those lines and it will now be added to 1040 line 1.