"You don't pay taxes when you acquire options, because you haven't yet acquired ownership over anything." Many people do, in fact, pay taxes when they acquire

"You don't pay taxes when you acquire options, because you haven't yet acquired ownership over anything." Many people do, in fact, pay taxes when they acquire options. You seem to be saying that people who have filed an 83(b) election own options, but people who haven't don't. This is not correct. In general, your error appears to be that you either own something or you do not. This is not generally how proprietary rights work.