Should I sell my PayPal RSUs?
If a large part of your wealth consists of PayPal stocks, the fall in prices has been eroding your wealth. Learn how you can protect your wealth, diversify tax-efficiently, get steady returns, and avoid the 40% US Estate Tax.
Abhighyan Sinha
If you have been with PayPal for 5 years or more, you have seen the company through its most volatile era.
PayPal stock has declined by roughly 80% from its 2021 highs. If you have been holding your shares, you have watched your portfolio shrink month after month while the broader market has continued to rally.
For employees who have spent years contributing to the company, this wealth erosion creates an urgent need to re-evaluate their financial strategy, with the goal of preserving their RSU wealth.
This article discusses how senior PayPal employees can protect their wealth, manage the risks of staying concentrated in a declining asset, and explores how other Paypal employees are diversifying into global portfolios to capture market growth again.
Table of contents
- Risks with PayPal RSUs
- Protect your PayPal RSU wealth
- How to diversify vested PayPal stocks?
- What are the tax implications?
- How to minimize tax burden?
- How Paasa can help
- FAQs
Risks of having a large part of your net worth tied to PayPal stocks
For many PayPal employees, their compensation structure creates a situation where a large part of their wealth ends up being locked in employer stocks.
Here’s why having PayPal RSUs make up a large part of your portfolio is a risk:
1. Growth Risk
Markets are unpredictable in the short term and growth at the level of individual stocks remains uncertain over any given period.
Despite being the pioneer in the payments space, the stock price of PayPal has fallen significantly over the last 5 year period.
While PayPal fell by around 70% over the past 5 years (as of Jan 2026), the S&P 500 provided returns of 84.87% over the same time period.
2. Concentration Risk
Having a large part of your wealth tied up in one stock means that the overall returns of your portfolio will be strongly correlated to that particular company’s performance.
This increases volatility as any growth slowdowns or sectoral changes affecting the company’s stock will also affect your net worth and other financial plans.
For example, if PayPal stocks have a high weightage in your portfolio, this fall in stock prices has likely eroded your wealth significantly.
For tech professionals with $100k+ in salary compensation, concentration in employer stocks also creates a situation where your income and wealth is tied to the performance of the same company.
3. Wealth erosion due to the 40% US Estate Tax
In the event of your death, all your US assets (like stocks, ETFs, any property in the US, etc) over the $60,000 exemption limit are subject to the US Estate Tax of up to 40%
Since PayPal stocks are US-situs assets, they are subject to the US estate tax.
The US estate tax is an up to 40% tax that needs to be paid on the total value of your US assets upon your death.
US domiciled persons have a $15 million exemption limit, and only assets above this exemption limit are subject to this tax.
However, if you are not US domiciled, the exemption limit for you is only $60,000, and any US-situs asset above this threshold is subject to the US estate tax.
Example
If you have PayPal stocks worth $1 million, your family will have to pay a 32.2% tax ($322,000) on this asset upon your death. The liability increases if you also have other US assets.
Use our Estate Tax Calculator to find out your exact tax liability.
To learn more about how you can protect your RSUs from the US estate tax, visit our guide on How Indian professionals can protect RSUs from estate tax.
How to protect your PayPal RSU wealth?
Many Paypal employees are mitigating this by selling their RSUs (while sometimes maintaining limited holdings in PayPal) and diversifying into other stocks and US estate-tax friendly instruments (like UCITS ETFs).
Here’s how diversification protects against the wealth erosion and other risks we discussed:
1. Spread out the growth risk
Diversification ensures that your portfolio tracks the performance of the broader market rather than relying on a single stock.
Depending on your risk appetite, you can choose funds like S&P 500, target specific sectors like AI or commodities, or go for a combination.
This ensures your wealth follows market-wide growth and isn't limited by the performance of just one company.
2. Eliminate concentration risk
Concentration risk exposes you to volatility, meaning that any movement in PayPal stock will also have a large effect on your overall portfolio.
Diversification reduces this volatility by spreading out the risk over several companies and sectors.
For example, a diversified portfolio with holding other stocks and ETFs will not be affected by the fall in PayPal stock to the same extent as your risk is spread across several assets.
3. Use UCITS ETFs to avoid the US Estate Tax
Many Indian tech professionals are now using UCITS ETFs to avoid the US Estate Tax while staying invested in the US market.
UCITS ETFs are funds that invest in US markets but are domiciled in Europe, most commonly in Ireland or Luxembourg.
As they are legally situated in the European Union, they are not subject to the US Estate Tax even when they hold US stocks such as Apple, Microsoft, or Google.
Rather than holding the S&P 500, you can hold an equivalent UCITS ETFs and avoid the risk of 40% US Estate Tax.
UCITS ETFs are functionally similar to US ETFs, and only the legal domicile is different.
Use our UCITS Screener to find UCITS compliant investment instruments.
Tax implications of diversifying your PayPal RSUs
When you sell your vested RSUs, you have to pay capital gains tax on the profit you are making.
The rate of capital gains tax is decided by your holding period:
To learn more about the tax liabilities arising from the sale of foreign stocks and ETFs, visit our guide on Capital Gains Tax on Foreign Stocks and ETFs
How to minimize your lifetime tax burden while diversifying your PayPal RSUs
If you have PayPal stock units that have increased in value since vesting, your total tax liability can be optimized by implementing a structured selling plan.
For the loss making PayPal stock units, you can harvest the tax loss and use it to offset capital gains elsewhere.
We suggest you sell your RSUs in the following order to minimize your overall tax liability:
- Vested RSUs with the highest cost basis. These are units currently trading at a loss or closest to their original vesting price (where you have little to no taxable gain).
- Vested RSUs that fall under LTCG (long term capital gains), starting with the units where you have made the minimum capital gains.
- Vested RSUs that fall under STCG (short term capital gains), starting with the units where you have made the minimum capital gains.
How to diversify your vested PayPal RSUs with Paasa
At Paasa, we make the process of moving from concentrated RSUs to globally diversified portfolios seamless. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Transfer RSUs via ACATS
Your RSUs are transferred from your broker (like E*TRADE, Charles Schwab, Fidelity) into your Paasa account through the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS). This is the standard industry process used by global brokerages.
Step 2: Strategic liquidation
Once your RSUs are in Paasa, you can liquidate them, either partially or fully, depending on your goals.
Step 3: Reinvestment into UCITS ETFs or direct stocks
You can then reinvest into direct global stocks, UCITS ETFs, commodities, or Paasa’s curated managed strategies. This gives you global diversification, estate tax protection, and better tax efficiency.
All your assets in Paasa are held directly with Interactive Brokers, offering unmatched security and peace of mind.
If you want to discuss this with our team and understand it in detail, you can schedule a call with us or write to us at support@paasa.com.
Why many PayPal employees are moving to Paasa
PayPal employees are moving to Paasa for unmatched access to global markets (like Switzerland, China, Japan, Singapore, and more), and for the safety and stability offered by Interactive Brokers.
Whether you want to buy BYD stocks or invest in UCITS ETFs to avoid the US Estate Tax, Paasa has it all.
Paasa works with Indian HNIs, family offices, and institutional investors, bringing the same global access and compliance depth to professionals managing RSU wealth. It offers one of the widest UCITS ETF portfolios available to Indian investors, enabling diversification across equities, bonds, and thematic exposures in multiple markets.
Disclaimer
This material is provided for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice. Paasa does not guarantee any returns or outcomes from the strategies described. All investments and remittances should be made in accordance with applicable RBI, FEMA, and income-tax regulations. Investors are advised to seek independent professional advice before acting on any information contained herein.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does transferring my PayPal RSUs to Paasa work?
We use the ACATS (Automated Customer Account Transfer Service) system to transfer your vested PayPal shares from your current broker (like E*TRADE, Charles Schwab, or Fidelity) to your Paasa account. The process is entirely digital and typically takes 3 to 5 business days.
Will I have to pay taxes immediately when I move my RSUs to Paasa?
No. Transferring your shares via ACATS is not a taxable event. You only trigger capital gains tax when you decide to sell the shares within your Paasa account to diversify your portfolio.
How much tax will I pay when I sell my PayPal shares?
It depends on how long you have held the shares, and you will have to pay taxes only if you have made a profit. If you sell shares held for more than 24 months, you pay a flat 12.5% Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax on the profits. If you sell shares held for less than 24 months, the profit is added to your income and taxed at your applicable slab rate.
How does Paasa help me reduce the tax impact of selling?
Paasa helps you implement a structured selling plan to minimize your tax liability. We prioritize selling your most tax-efficient shares first—specifically those with the highest cost basis (shares that are currently at a loss or closest to their vesting price) or those that already qualify for the lower 12.5% LTCG rate.
Why are UCITS ETFs better than just buying US ETFs?
US-domiciled ETFs (like VOO or QQQ) are considered US assets, meaning they are subject to the same 40% US Estate Tax risk as your PayPal stock. UCITS ETFs are domiciled in Ireland, which provides the same exposure to the US market but legally shields your family from the US Estate Tax liability.
Does holding PayPal stock expose me to US Estate Tax?
Yes. PayPal is a US-domiciled asset. If you are an Indian resident and pass away while holding more than $60,000 worth of US assets (including PayPal stock and other US-listed securities) your estate could be subject to a US Estate Tax of up to 40% on the value exceeding that limit. Moving your wealth into Ireland-domiciled UCITS ETFs eliminates this risk.
Should I hold my PayPal RSUs for more than 2 years to save tax?
While holding for 24 months allows you to access the lower 12.5% LTCG rate, it exposes you to significant single-stock risk. If PayPal stock continues to decline or stagnates during those two years, the loss in your capital could be far greater than the tax you were trying to save.
Should PayPal employees sell RSUs immediately after vesting?
If your goal is diversification, it is generally advisable to sell immediately upon vesting. Since you have already paid income tax on the value of the shares at the time of vesting, holding them is financially equivalent to taking your own cash and buying PayPal shares at the current market price.
Can I transfer PayPal RSUs from E*TRADE or Fidelity to another broker?
Yes. Once your RSUs have vested, they are your private property. You can transfer them to a platform like Paasa using the ACATS system, allowing you to manage your diversification strategy more effectively without triggering a taxable sale during the transfer itself.
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Disclaimer
The information provided in this post is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as professional advice or to replace consultation with qualified professionals. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the content contained herein. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. We disclaim any liability for any loss or damage, including, without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this post. Always seek the advice of professionals or relevant authorities regarding your specific situation or circumstances.