A grant exists across several systems
The board may approve an award, the cap table records the security, HR tracks the employee, payroll may handle tax consequences, and accounting may record compensation expense. If those systems disagree, the cleanup becomes difficult quickly.
Create one grant register that links the records.
Track grant-level facts
Record recipient, approval date, grant date, award type, quantity, exercise or purchase price, vesting schedule, expiration, modifications, exercises, cancellations, and supporting documents.
Keep valuation and tax advice referenced rather than embedded only in email.
Reconcile changes at least quarterly
New grants, exercises, terminations, modifications, and cancellations should reconcile between the cap table and the finance schedule. Payroll or HR events can affect vesting or tax treatment and should reach finance promptly.
Do not wait until the annual audit or tax return to discover stale awards.
Preserve the history after employees leave
Former employee awards can remain relevant because exercise windows, cancellations, repurchases, or historical expense may continue after termination. Keep the source records even when HR removes the employee from active systems.
A durable grant register supports diligence, reporting, and later financing rounds.
Questions buyers usually ask
Why does finance need an equity grant register if the cap table already exists?
The cap table may show securities outstanding, while finance also needs vesting, modifications, compensation treatment, payroll events, and historical support that may not all live in the cap table.
How often should equity compensation records be reconciled?
Quarterly is a useful cadence for many growing companies, with additional reconciliation after material grant, exercise, modification, or financing events.
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