Form 15620 (Rev. 4-2025): Section 83(b) Election

Updated October 16, 2026. Quick answer: Form 15620 is the IRS form for a Section 83(b) election, and the instructions say “An 83(b) election must be filed no later than 30 days after the date the property was transferred.” The form has nine boxes, from the taxpayer and the property to the fair market value, the price paid and the amount to include in gross income. The instructions also say “An 83(b) election may not be revoked except with the consent of the IRS.”

What the election does and what the form says

The form opens with the election itself: “The undersigned taxpayer hereby elects, pursuant to § 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to include in gross income as compensation for services the excess (if any) of the fair market value of the property described below over the amount paid for the property.”

The instructions give the setting in their Purpose of Form paragraph: “When substantially nonvested property is transferred in connection with the performance of services, the person who performs the services may elect under IRC § 83(b) (83(b) election) to currently include in gross income the excess (if any) of the property’s fair market value at the time of the transfer over the amount (if any) paid for the property at the time of transfer, rather than when the property later becomes substantially vested.” “Refer to the Restricted Property section of Publication 525 for a description of the tax consequences of substantially nonvested property transferred in connection with the performance of services.”

In plain terms, the printed rule is a swap of timing. The election pulls the spread, fair market value minus the amount paid, into income at transfer instead of at vesting. The form itself does not predict a tax bill, and the instructions send readers to Publication 525 for the consequences. Related pages on this site cover the common settings: early exercise and the 83(b) deadline and whether an 83(b) election works on RSUs.

The 30 day deadline and the weekend rule

The deadline is stated flatly: “An 83(b) election must be filed no later than 30 days after the date the property was transferred.” The clock runs from the transfer date in Box 3, not from the date the property later vests.

The instructions also add a calendar rule: “In accordance with IRC § 7503, if the thirtieth day following the transfer of property falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the election will be considered timely filed if it is postmarked by the next succeeding day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.”

Here is a calendar illustration, not an IRS example. If property is transferred on Friday, October 2, 2026, the thirtieth day after that date is Sunday, November 1, 2026. Under the printed rule, an election postmarked on Monday, November 2, 2026 would be considered timely, assuming that Monday is not a legal holiday, which it is not. The same rule gives no extra time if the thirtieth day is a weekday that is not a legal holiday.

For the election deadline and the postmark rule, the instructions point to IRC § 83(b)(2) and to the Treasury regulation on the time for filing. If the date has already passed, what to do after a missed 83(b) deadline covers the options on this site.

Box by box

The nine boxes and their printed instructions are below. Where a box has an example, the example is part of the instruction text.

Two examples in the instructions are worth reading closely. For Box 2, “1,000 shares of Class A common stock of Corporation B.” is the sample description. For Box 5, the example is a forfeiture restriction, and Box 6 carries this reminder: “The fair market value is determined without regard to any lapse restriction, as defined in Treas. Reg. § 1.83-3(i).”

Box 8 is arithmetic. A made-up illustration, not an IRS example, with 1,000 shares:

The IRS wording for Box 8 is the subtraction in the last row. If nothing was paid, Box 7(c) is zero and Box 8 equals Box 6(c).

Who files, where to send it and who gets a copy

The instructions define the filer: “When substantially nonvested property is transferred in connection with the performance of services, the person who performs the services (e.g., an employee or an independent contractor) may make an 83(b) election by filing Form 15620.” The form is not the only route: “In the alternative, an 83(b) election may be made by filing a written statement that satisfies the requirements of Treas. Reg. § 1.83-2.”

On the destination: “Submit this completed and signed Form 15620 to the IRS via mail with the IRS office with which the person who performs the services files a federal income tax return.” The Form 15620 instructions name no street address and no other delivery method, and they say nothing about an IRS receipt or confirmation. Publication 525 says to mail the election to the address listed for your state under Where Do You File? in the Instructions for Form 1040, in the row for returns that request a refund or do not enclose a check or money order.

Copies go elsewhere too. “The person who performs the services is also required to submit a copy of the completed and signed Form 15620 to the person for whom the services are performed.” “In addition, if the person who performs the services and the transferee of the property are not the same person, the person who performs the services is also required to submit a copy of the completed and signed Form 15620 to the transferee of the property.”

The form repeats the point above the signature: “The undersigned taxpayer agrees to provide a copy of the election to (i) the person for whom the services are performed and (ii) the transferee of the property, if the taxpayer and the transferee of the property are not the same person.” The signature block carries a perjury statement: “Under penalties of perjury, the undersigned taxpayer declares that, to the best of undersigned taxpayer’s knowledge and belief, the information entered on this Form 15620 is true, correct, and complete.”

Revocation, voluntary use and what is optional

Revocation is narrow. “An 83(b) election may not be revoked except with the consent of the IRS.” “Taxpayers are encouraged to review applicable federal guidance regarding the revocability of 83(b) elections.” The instructions point to a Treasury regulation and to “Revenue Procedure 2006-31”. A page on revoking an 83(b) election after the stock fell walks through that question.

The election itself is optional. The privacy notice says “You’re not required to make a section 83(b) election.” “Form 15620 is provided by the IRS for your convenience and its use is voluntary.” It adds a warning about completeness: “Failure to provide all requested information may delay or prevent processing your election.”

The form marks Box 9 as optional: “Providing a response in Box 9 is optional and not required to make a valid 83(b) election.” For the broader picture of equity awards and where the election fits, see the equity compensation tax guide.

Which revision applies

Publication 525 draws one boundary around the form. For the separate section 83(i) election, it says to “follow instructions detailed in IRS Notice 2018-97 instead.” It adds that Form 15620 cannot be used for that election.

The edition read for this page is Form 15620, marked Rev. 4-2025, which carries its instructions on pages 2 and 3 of the same file, as archived for this kit. Check the revision on the copy you are using before you rely on a box number. The form is marked “Form 15620 (Rev. 4-2025)” with “Catalog Number 95376D”. The form is a convenience, not a requirement; the written statement route in the instructions is the alternative.

Common mistakes

• Counting the 30 days from vesting. The instructions say “An 83(b) election must be filed no later than 30 days after the date the property was transferred.”
• Entering the full fair market value in Box 8. The instructions say “Calculate this amount by subtracting the total amount paid for property reported in Box 7(c) from the total fair market value of the property at the time of transfer reported in Box 6(c).”
• Mailing the form and stopping there. The instructions say “The person who performs the services is also required to submit a copy of the completed and signed Form 15620 to the person for whom the services are performed.”

Related: early exercise and the 83(b) deadline, missed 83(b) election, 83(b) election on RSUs, and revoking an 83(b) election.

Sources

• Form 15620 (April 2025), Section 83(b) Election: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f15620.pdf
• Publication 525 (2025), Taxable and Nontaxable Income: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p525.pdf

Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 16, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.