The 83b election is a provision in the Internal Revenue Code that allows employees who receive equity-based compensation (such as restricted stock) to elect to be taxed on the value of the stock at the time it is granted rather than at the time it vests. This can be beneficial for employees who believe that the value of the stock will increase over time, as they will pay taxes on the lower grant price rather than the higher vesting price.

However, RSUs are different from restricted stock in that they do not represent actual ownership in the company until they are vested and settled in shares. Therefore, they cannot be subject to an 83(b) election. Instead, RSUs are generally taxed as ordinary income at the time of vesting, based on the fair market value of the underlying shares on that date.