CALIFORNIA’S TAXATION OF WHISTLEBLOWER AWARDS: No Good Deed Goes Untaxed; Or Does It?

Whistleblower awards are big business.  In 2016 alone, the IRS paid over $60 million to whistleblowers.  The SEC awarded a similar amount.  A patchwork of other whistleblower laws involving 57 federal statutes and 44 states, including California, also result in tens of millions in annual pay-outs.  Not all whistleblower laws involve awards, but rather damages for retaliation.  For instance, Penn State was ordered to pay coach Michael McQueary $12 million after firing him for reporting the notorious Jerry Sandusky to college officials.  Though the amounts vary widely year to year, the trend is more tips filed, more whistleblower cases, bigger awards. Whistleblower cases usually take a long time, with many obstacles along the way that can derail final payment.  The average is three years.  It’s a long wait, but it does provide an opportunity for tax planning for those who don’t want to be taxed by California for an award that…

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