I'm a startup co-founder and worked unpaid early on — could that become a tax issue later?
Working unpaid isn't a problem on its own, but gift or income tax issues can arise later during equity settlement or a buyout, so it's safer to design your early equity and salary structure in advance. There are real cases where a startup co-founder handling planning work unpaid or at a low salary later runs into a serious tax issue when settling income and equity at resignation or an equity restructuring, so we recommend consulting on your dividend and salary design based on equity share from the earliest stage of your company.
Income Structure Features for IT Planners & PMs
Key Necessary Expense Items
Tax Advantages for IT Planners & PMs
Designing equity and salary structure for co-founder planners
We design your early equity and salary structure ahead of time to manage both tax savings and risk.
Clarifying the contract vs. entrustment nature of on-site PM work
We tighten up your contract to reduce disguised-subcontracting risk.
Reviewing youth startup tax reduction eligibility
We check applicable tax benefits during your startup's early stage.
The Most Common Mistake in the Field
A startup co-founder handling planning work unpaid or at a low salary can later run into a serious tax issue when settling income and equity at resignation or an equity restructuring.