What's withheld when your META RSUs vest vs. what you actually owe in Washington, with 2026 federal brackets.
This page estimates the RSU withholding gap for Meta (META) employees who live and work in Washington. The example is a single filer with a $200,000 salary and a $50,000 vest, using 2026 federal brackets. The estimated result is −$3,570. The table below shows how that changes with salary and vest size. Meta's stock fell steeply in 2022 and recovered strongly afterward. That history is a reminder that the tax on each vest is set by the vest-day price, so the same number of shares can produce very different tax bills from one vest to the next.
| Base salary | $25k vest | $50k vest | $100k vest |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | −$500 | −$1,000 | −$4,570 |
| $200,000 | −$1,070 | −$3,570 | −$9,400 |
| $300,000 | −$3,250 | −$6,500 | −$13,000 |
| $500,000 | −$3,250 | −$6,500 | −$13,000 |
Withheld at vest minus actually owed. Negative means you'll owe more when you file; positive means over-withholding. Single filer, no bonus, standard deduction, vest in the second half of the year, 2026 federal brackets. The gap is the same for every company at the same vest value; only the share count differs (100 META shares ≈ $50,000 at an example price of $500).
Washington has no state income tax, so there is no state tax on RSU income. The whole gap is federal: on a $50,000 vest at a $200,000 salary, 22% withheld ($11,000) versus $14,570 owed, a shortfall of $3,570.
Washington does have a separate tax on long-term capital gains above an annual deduction. It applies to gains when you later sell shares you've held for more than a year, not to the RSU income at vest.
Washington's WA Cares long-term-care premium (0.58% of wages, no cap, unless you have an approved exemption) and Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are also withheld from RSU income. They're withheld correctly, so they don't create a gap, but they reduce what you keep. They're not included in these estimates.
If you worked in another state during the vesting period, that state may tax the portion of the RSU income earned there, even after you moved to Washington.