Bleeding shares of start-ups call for review of ESOP taxation policy

Companies generally deduct the tax payable at the time of allotment of shares by adding the income from ESOPs to employees' income as personal income tax

With market prices of listed start-ups down in the dumps, there is a case for reviewing the taxation structure of the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) in the Budget for 2023-24.

The market price of Nykaa was down 86.6 per cent at Rs 150.55 as on Monday, compared to the issue price of Rs 1,125, while that of Paytm was down 76.6 per cent at Rs 503.8. Similarly, investors in Zomato, Delhivery and Policybazaar have lost their money.

This has led to a situation where those having ESOPs are facing huge capital losses. Currently, ESOPS are taxed at