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IRS Issues Guidance on Employee Election to Defer Income from Qualified Equity Grants:  In a recent Notice and News Release, the IRS provides guidance on the new election allowing employees to defer income from qualifying equity grants under IRC Sec. 83(i), added by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Among the many eligibility and qualification requirements, the corporation must have a written plan under which not less than 80% of all employees who provide services to the corporation in the U.S. are granted stock options or Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) with the same rights and privileges to receive qualified stock. The Notice provides that the satisfaction of this 80% requirement is determined on a calendar-year basis. The Notice also requires that employers must make an estimate of the value of the stock treated as wages paid and make timely income tax withholding deposits on that estimate, and employees must agree that the deferral stock be deposited into escrow to ensure the withholding requirements are met. Notice 2018-97 and News Release IR 2018-246