How would this affect the concept of phantom stock options? I worked at a startup who used the main excuse of no taxes paid handing out ghost options instead of

How would this affect the concept of phantom stock options? I worked at a startup who used the main excuse of no taxes paid handing out ghost options instead of normal options. "Phantom stock can, but usually does not, pay dividends. When the grant is initially made or the phantom shares vest, there is no tax impact. When the payout is made, however, it is taxed as ordinary income to the grantee and is deductible to the employer." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_stock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_stock