RSU tax in Louisiana

A $60,000 vest costs $1,800 in Louisiana tax on top of the federal bill. And the federal share withheld is $2,970 short.

What a $60,000 vest actually costs in Louisiana

A single filer already earning $180,000 in salary. The vest stacks on top of that, so it fills the highest brackets rather than starting at the bottom:

Withheld by your employer at 22.0%	$13,200
Federal tax the vest actually costs	$16,170
Federal shortfall, owed in April	$2,970
Louisiana income tax on the vest	$1,800
Total still to find	$4,770

The withholding rate is flat, 22.0% below $1 million of supplemental pay. And takes no account of your salary. That is why the gap grows the more you earn.

The gap widens with salary

Salary	Withheld	Actually owed	Shortfall	Louisiana tax
$90,000	$13,200	$13,764	$564	$1,800
$160,000	$13,200	$14,570	$1,370	$1,800
$260,000	$13,200	$20,630	$7,430	$1,800

How Louisiana treats a vest

Louisiana taxes a vest as ordinary income like any other wages, adding $1,800 on top of the federal bill for $60,000 of vesting stock.

If you moved during the vesting period, the income is split between the states you worked in across it: Days worked in each state / total days in vesting period x RSU income = each state's allocation That is worked out day by day, not by where you lived on the vesting date.

Louisiana specifics that change the number

Louisiana is a community property state. In community property states, income earned during marriage is generally owned equally by both spouses. This affects QJV eligibility, MFS filing strategies, and retirement account contribution rules.

What the same vest costs around Louisiana

Total income of $240,000 in the states Louisiana borders:

State	Its tax	vs Louisiana
Texas	No income tax	−$6,575
Arkansas	$9,283	+$2,708
Mississippi	$9,600	+$3,025

Texas has no income tax at all, so the same work done there costs $6,575 less in state tax than it does in Louisiana.
Arkansas would take $2,708 more, $9,283 against Louisiana's $6,575.
Mississippi would take $3,025 more, $9,600 against Louisiana's $6,575.

RSU questions in Louisiana

Should I sell at vest?

Selling immediately raises the cash for the $4,770 you still owe and leaves no capital gain, because the sale price equals the price you were already taxed on. Holding turns it into an investment decision, any further gain is a capital gain, and any fall is a loss you take on shares you were already taxed on at the higher value.

I moved to Louisiana mid-vest, who taxes it?

Both states, split by workdays. The income is allocated across the vesting period, not assigned to wherever you happened to live on the vesting date. The state you left can still claim its share, and California, New York and Massachusetts pursue it hardest.