Stocks, bonds & funds
What are these stock options worth? A first estimate
A stock option calculator: employees enter the number of options, strike price, current share price, an assumed growth rate and years until exercise, and see the projected gain and exercise cost.
Included in Network. 14-day trial, cancel any time.
How do you estimate the value of employee stock options?
A simple estimate projects the share price at an assumed growth rate to the exercise date, subtracts the strike price, and multiplies by the number of options. That intrinsic value ignores taxes, vesting, expiration and time value, which can change the real outcome substantially.
At a job offer, a vesting date or before an IPO
Offer letters with options, vesting cliffs and liquidity events prompt the question. Employees want a sense of the potential and the cash needed to exercise, and they're often unaware of the tax consequences.
What the client types into a search box
“how much are my stock options worth”
How a client works through it
Enter options and strike
Number of options and the grant price.
Enter the share price
Current price per share.
Set growth and years
An assumed annual growth rate and years until exercise.
See the projection
Projected gain, share price and exercise cost.
What lands in your inbox
When a client asks your firm to review the result, the request arrives as a contact record with their inputs and results attached, by email and, on paid plans, by webhook to your CRM.
Received
Number of options, strike and current price show the scale and how far in the money the options are. A large spread suggests a significant tax event at exercise; a big exercise cost suggests a cash-flow plan is needed.
Projected gain is before tax
Projected Share Price applies the growth rate to today's price. Projected Gain is the spread over the strike times the number of options. Exercise Cost is what it takes to buy the shares.
None of this is after tax. NSO spreads are ordinary income at exercise; ISO spreads may trigger AMT.
Results shown: Projected Gain · Projected Share Price · Exercise Cost.
Why do equity compensation clients need a firm?
Option exercises raise ordinary income, capital gains and sometimes AMT questions, and timing decisions can save or cost a lot. CPA firms and advisers specializing in equity compensation find valuable clients here.
The calculator's simple estimate gets the employee thinking; the firm brings the tax modeling.
Follow-ups this request opens
- Model ISO versus NSO tax and AMT exposure
- Plan the timing of exercises across tax years
- Plan cash to cover exercise cost and taxes
- Diversify concentrated company stock
What this calculator leaves out
- Intrinsic value only; no option pricing model.
- Taxes, AMT and withholding are ignored.
- Vesting and expiration are not modeled.
- Assumed growth rate, not a forecast.
Platform disclaimer shown under the calculator: Estimates only. Projects intrinsic value from an assumed growth rate; it ignores taxes (AMT, ordinary income), vesting, expiration and time value.
Compliance note for firms
Projecting a company's share price is speculative; keep the growth rate client-chosen and the result labeled as an illustration. Tax advice on exercise timing is written advice under Circular 230 §10.37, and advisers should consider concentration risk.
Not legal advice. See our disclaimer and the guide to compliance for client calculators.
2026 figures this page relies on
| Figure | Value | Tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term capital gains rates | 0%, 15% or 20% depending on income | 2026 | IRS |
The same values drive the calculator. Full list on the 2026 figures page.
Terms your client sees in the calculator
These definitions appear in the calculator's collapsible Definitions block, so clients don't have to call to ask what a label means.
- Employee stock option
- A contract from your employer giving you the right, but not the obligation, to buy a set number of company shares at a fixed price for a limited time. It is valuable only if the share price rises above that fixed price. This calculator projects that value at a future date using an assumed growth rate.
- Strike price
- The fixed price per share at which you can buy under the option, also called the grant or exercise price. It is usually set at the market price on the grant date. Your gain per share is the market price minus the strike price, so a lower strike means more value for the same share price.
- Exercise
- Using your option to buy the shares at the strike price. You can exercise only vested options and only before they expire. This calculator assumes you exercise and sell at the same time in the year you enter, so the gain is the spread between the projected share price and the strike price.
- Exercise cost
- The cash needed to buy the shares when you exercise: the number of options times the strike price. It does not include taxes, which can be due at exercise depending on the option type. With a cashless exercise, the broker sells enough shares to cover this cost instead of you paying it up front.
- Projected share price
- The current share price grown at your assumed annual rate for the number of years until exercise. It is a mechanical projection, not a forecast; individual stocks can fall as easily as rise. Testing a flat or negative growth rate shows how sensitive the result is to this one assumption.
- Intrinsic value
- The amount an option is worth if exercised right now: share price minus strike price, or zero if the share price is lower. This calculator measures only intrinsic value. It ignores time value, the extra worth an option has before expiration because the price might still rise, which formal valuation models include.
In our glossary: Long-term capital gains
Stock Option calculator: questions from firms and clients
Does it handle ISOs and NSOs differently?
No. It estimates value; tax treatment differs and needs professional modeling.
What is AMT exposure?
Exercising ISOs can create alternative minimum tax even without selling.
What growth rate should I use?
There's no right answer; test several, including zero.
Does it consider vesting?
No.
How are gains taxed when I sell?
Depending on holding periods, as ordinary income or at 0%, 15% or 20% depending on income2026 · IRS.
Do options expire?
Yes, usually after ten years or shortly after leaving.
Should I exercise early?
It depends on taxes, risk and cash. Ask the firm.
Which plan includes it?
Network. See pricing.
No question matches that filter. Clear it to see them all, search the whole site, or ask us directly; we reply within one business day.
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