OpenAI just opened an office in Sydney. They're hiring aggressively. Senior engineers, product leads, researchers. The comp packages look incredible on paper. But buried in those offer letters is something most Australian tech professionals have never seen before: Profit Participation Units.

Over the past decade, Australia’s technology sector has exploded and with it, a new generation of professionals now receive part of their salary in equity, not just cash. Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and employee share schemes (ESS) are now standard for high-growth companies like Atlassian, Canva, and other tech innovators.

If you’ve recently had Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) vest, you’re probably asking one of the most common and most financially important questions: “Should I sell my RSUs now or hold onto them for future growth?”

For many professionals in Australia’s technology sector, Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) have become a key component of total compensation. While they offer a powerful way to build wealth, they can also create substantial and often unexpected tax liabilities.

As more Australian technology companies use Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and employee share schemes to reward top performers, we’re seeing a growing number of professionals caught off guard by unexpected tax bills and poor portfolio outcomes.

If you’re an employee at a major tech company like Atlassian, Canva, or Amazon, you’ve probably received Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) as part of your compensation. RSUs can be an excellent way to build long-term wealth but they can also create confusion and unexpected tax bills if you fail to plan properly.