I used to think that too. But I also thought it would be shady to claim that options had no value when those same options can be traded for money, to lock in an

I used to think that too. But I also thought it would be shady to claim that options had no value when those same options can be traded for money, to lock in an untaxable transfer. That, however, is a key part of how options tax law works. So my current claim is just that intuition is not a good guide to what is or is not legal or ethical for options taxation.