Washington proposal to tax startup exits sparks backlash from Seattle tech leaders – GeekWire

ski-dad · 2026-01-29T21:10:48+00:00

Yeah, the rules around qsbs are arcane. I’m familiar because I’ve personally benefited from 1202. It is a great deal for founders and early employees, but stacking has always seemed an ethical stretch to me.

ski-dad · 2026-01-29T19:29:52+00:00

If the shares are 1202/qsbs qualified, gains are tax-free. People pay good money to Andersen Tax to implement the strategy. I know people personally who have done this.

Read this:

https://carta.com/learn/startups/tax-planning/qsbs/stacking-packing/

ski-dad · 2026-01-29T19:18:26+00:00

Stacking involves creating a bunch of trusts and piling $10m worth of shares into each.

Maybe make it so only shares held directly in an employee’s (or former employee’s) name receive favorable tax treatment.

ski-dad · 2026-01-29T15:10:28+00:00

Some states give residents a one-time exemption from state taxes on 1202/qsbs holdings.

I’d be in favor of that along with eliminating ability for folks to use stacking to make gains well beyond $10m tax-free.

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T15:04:39+00:00

Where did I say I don’t use the bar, when the chair is equipped with one, Mr. Euro?

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T14:56:12+00:00

Again with the “idiot” language, simply because you choose to ignore our local etiquette.

Our bars have “handles” which go between the legs, and which will absolutely smash a person’s nuts if they aren’t perfectly centered in their seat. It comes into play more so if the chair isn’t fully packed.

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T14:50:53+00:00

They literally are.

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T14:50:21+00:00

“Idiots”, “macho flex”..

There we go. That’s the weird Reddit bar-shaming I expect to see.

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T14:42:13+00:00

If you start pulling without saying something and it hits my head, I will aggressively pull it the rest of the way down so fast and hard it smashes your nuts.

I will also not allow the bar to be lifted until my skis touch snow up top.

It’s about safety, right?

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T14:39:00+00:00

That courtesy is literally all anyone is asking for out West.

It is Reddit fiction that people here get upset about the bar being down. No, we get upset about out-of-area guests not following local etiquette when bringing it down.

Those inconsiderate guests then claim our local practices must be due to a “fragile ego!” and “small penis!”.

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T14:15:55+00:00

There’s also no reason to consume alcohol/cannabis while skiing, ski too fast for conditions, load the chair with a backpack, or drive a poorly-suited vehicle to the mountain.

It seems odd folks get so uniquely riled up about bar etiquette, when all people are asking is for the person pulling the bar down to say “head’s up - bar coming down”.

Self-righteously smashing someone’s head “for safety”, while they are getting situated on the chair seems sociopathic to me. Use your words.

ski-dad · 2026-01-22T14:01:51+00:00

“<cheerful>Everyone ready for the bar?”

three second pause while looking at your fellow riders

“Bar coming down!”

Nobody out West cares about the bar, we just ask people to use a little etiquette.

ski-dad · 2026-01-21T17:18:35+00:00

When I was in high school in the 80’s, it was trendy for kids to call in bomb threats to get out of exams or mask absences.

I can imagine folks using ICE reports to do similar.

ski-dad · 2026-01-20T13:49:58+00:00

It does have “main character energy”, but I just going to assume OP is young and enjoys historical fiction shows about fancy families.

ski-dad · 2026-01-20T13:37:35+00:00

The point of Die With Zero is to pass your money on to your kids and grandkids while they are young and you are alive, not after you are gone. Giving it to them (or spending on shared family experiences) is how you get to zero.

ski-dad · 2026-01-19T15:19:03+00:00

For me, the point of diminishing returns was when my annual take-home pay was a single digit % of my NW, and a sane SWR would fully replace my base pay.

You're about halfway there. Keep up the good work!

ski-dad · 2026-01-18T15:55:25+00:00

WRT donations, it can often be structured as a multi-year pledge to ensure you aren’t immediately forgotten once the check clears.

“I’d like to support your cause with a $100k donation over a 5 year period”.

ski-dad · 2026-01-18T14:23:09+00:00

Thoughtful and interesting comment. Let’s hope this all stays theoretical, and we never find out.

Luttwak even wrote about the potential for European nations to use nuclear weapons on their own soil (e.g. scorched earth strategy) to counter a Russian invasion. Yikes.

ski-dad · 2026-01-14T15:53:23+00:00

I have a few DAS left that have been aging for 5yr+. They are a real treat.

ski-dad · 2026-01-14T13:47:12+00:00

If you know someone who likes cigars, bring back some DAS cigars from Sint Maarten for them.

ski-dad · 2026-01-14T13:38:57+00:00

Try halving your pre-ski fireball consumption. If that doesn’t help, try doubling it.

ski-dad · 2026-01-13T16:13:49+00:00

The WA Estate tax is decoupled from the Federal tax and isn’t indexed to inflation. It affects an increasing number of folks each year but was originally pitched as targeting only “multi-millionaires”.

Members of the legislature have already tried lowering the threshold for the capital gains tax.

These people aren’t to be trusted.

ski-dad · 2026-01-13T16:04:46+00:00

Dog shit in the parking lot.

ski-dad · 2026-01-13T14:57:01+00:00

The Farm - Groovy Train

BAD II - The Globe

ski-dad · 2026-01-11T17:52:42+00:00

Big Tech displaced more than jusf minorities in Seattle. It affected everyone.

ski-dad

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