> Yes, because both you the employee and the company have to make active steps to structure the equity grants in a very specific way to get the favorable tax t

> Yes, because both you the employee and the company have to make active steps to structure the equity grants in a very specific way to get the favorable tax treatment, and if you screw up or skip a step you can get hit with an unexpected tax bill. Not offering options because you're employees have to pay income tax on all the value rather than capital gains tax on most of the value is ridiculous.