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83(b) election template, IRS cover letter and filing checklist

You have 30 days from the day your founder shares are transferred to file an 83(b) election, and the IRS gives no extension. This pack has the election statement with every item the regulations require, the cover letter for a paper filing and the checklist that keeps your proof.

Updated · Rules checked against official sources on

Download the files

  • 83(b) election template Editable in Word, Google Docs or Pages DOCX · 39 KB DOCX
  • 83(b) election pack 4 pages: election, cover letter, checklist, worked example PDF · 29 KB PDF

Free to use and edit. Not legal or tax advice: check your situation with a lawyer or accountant before you sign or file.

What's in the file

  • Election statement with items 1 to 9 in the same order as IRS Form 15620 (Rev. 4-2025), and the copy-to-company statement required by Treas. Reg. 1.83-2(e)(7).
  • Cover letter for a mailed filing, asking the IRS to date-stamp and return a copy.
  • Filing checklist: the 30-day deadline and weekend rule, online versus mail, copies, proof.
  • A filled example: 4,000,000 founder shares bought at $0.0001, so the income to report is $0.

Preview

First page of the 83(b) election template showing the election statement with numbered items 1 to 9 and a signature line
First page of the PDF.

How to use it

  1. Find your transfer date in your stock purchase agreement and count 30 days. If day 30 is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the next business day still counts.
  2. Open the DOCX and fill items 1 to 8. Item 6 is fair market value per share times shares; item 7 is what you paid; item 8 is item 6 minus item 7.
  3. Choose one way to file. Online: the IRS mobile-friendly Form 15620 needs an IRS Online Account. Paper: sign the statement and mail it to the IRS office where you file your individual return.
  4. If mailing, print the cover letter, add a second copy and a self-addressed stamped envelope, and send it by USPS Certified Mail with return receipt.
  5. Give a copy to the company. Keep the certified mail receipt or the online confirmation with your stock purchase agreement.

Worked example

Maya buys 4,000,000 shares of common stock in her new Delaware C-corp on 2 March at $0.0001 per share and pays $400. The shares vest over 4 years. Fair market value that day is also $0.0001, so item 6 is $400, item 7 is $400 and item 8 is $0. Her deadline is 1 April. If she skipped the election, the value of each tranche as it vests would generally be taxed as compensation when it vests, which is why a $0 election still matters.

Who it's for

United States
Founders and early employees who receive stock subject to vesting in a US company, most often a Delaware C-corp.
Canada
The 83(b) is a US federal election. It does not change how the CRA taxes the same shares, so ask a Canadian adviser about your side.
Australia
Same point for the ATO. If you flipped into a Delaware parent, file the 83(b) for the US shares and get Australian advice on the rest.

Official sources

Checked on . Rules change; confirm on these pages before you file.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official IRS 83(b) form?
Yes. IRS Form 15620 (Rev. 4-2025) is an optional official form. You can also file a written statement that meets Treas. Reg. 1.83-2, which is what this template is. Either is valid.
What is the 83(b) election deadline?
No later than 30 days after the date the property was transferred. If the 30th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, a postmark on the next business day is on time. There is no extension.
Can I file an 83(b) election online?
Yes. Form 15620 is on the IRS mobile-friendly forms list and needs an IRS Online Account. You can submit it online or download it for mailing. Use one method, not both.
Where do I mail an 83(b) election?
To the IRS office where you file your individual federal income tax return. The IRS lists those addresses on its Where to file page.
Do I need to send a copy to my company?
Yes. Treas. Reg. 1.83-2(d) requires a copy to the person for whom you perform the services and, if different, to the person who transferred the shares.
Can I undo an 83(b) election?
Only with IRS consent, which the regulation limits to a mistake of fact requested within 60 days of discovering it. A drop in the share value does not count.

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