A Cap Table That Expenses Itself to the Ledger
Track ownership, option grants, and vesting in one place - and let Fintra calculate ASC 718 stock-comp expense and post it to the same general ledger that runs your books.
Illustrative product view
What equity management in Fintra does
Most startups keep the cap table in one spreadsheet, the grant paperwork in a folder, and the stock-comp expense in a memo their accountant rebuilds every quarter. The three drift apart, and the drift surfaces at exactly the wrong moment - a priced round, an audit, or diligence. Fintra keeps ownership, grants, vesting, and the ASC 718 expense in one system, so the expense your books report is derived from the same grants your cap table shows.
- A single cap table covering common, preferred, options, SAFEs, and convertible notes
- Option grants with vesting schedules - cliffs, monthly vesting, and acceleration
- ASC 718 stock-comp expense calculated per grant and posted to the general ledger
- 409A valuation support so grant strike prices and expense inputs stay defensible
Core capabilities
| Capability | What it does | What it replaces |
|---|---|---|
| Cap table | Tracks every security, holder, and round on a fully diluted basis | A spreadsheet that breaks on the next round |
| Option grants | Records grants with strike price, quantity, and vesting terms | Loose grant PDFs and manual trackers |
| Vesting engine | Applies cliffs, monthly vesting, and acceleration automatically | Hand-calculated vested-share tables |
| ASC 718 expensing | Computes stock-comp expense per grant and posts it to the GL | Quarterly stock-comp memos |
| 409A support | Keeps valuation inputs and strike prices aligned and dated | Untracked, stale strike-price assumptions |
How ASC 718 expense flows to the GL
From grant to booked stock-comp expense
- 1
Record the grant
Enter the option grant with quantity, strike price, grant date, and vesting schedule; the 409A on file sets the strike.
- 2
Establish fair value
Fintra applies your chosen option-pricing inputs to establish grant-date fair value as the amount to expense.
- 3
Amortize over vesting
The engine spreads that fair value across the service period, so each month recognizes the right slice of expense.
- 4
Post to the ledger
The monthly stock-comp accrual posts to the general ledger automatically - no separate journal entry to rebuild.
- 5
Handle forfeitures
When an unvested grant is forfeited, Fintra trues up previously recognized expense so the books reflect actual vesting.
How it connects to the rest of Fintra
Equity is not an island in Fintra - it is a source of ledger activity like payroll or bill pay. Because the stock-comp expense posts to the same general ledger, it flows into your close, your budget vs actuals, and your forecast without a hand-off. Finance sees the equity line building in real time instead of discovering it at quarter-end.
- Stock-comp expense posts to the general ledger and appears in the month-end close
- Equity dilution and pool burn feed workforce and hiring plans
- Fully diluted ownership supports fundraising and board reporting
- Every grant, vesting event, and expense entry is captured in the audit trail
Who it’s for
- Startups that have issued options and now owe ASC 718 expense they’ve been deferring
- Founders maintaining a cap table spreadsheet that’s one round away from breaking
- Finance leads who rebuild the stock-comp schedule by hand every quarter-end
- Companies heading into a priced round or audit who need equity and the books to agree
Frequently asked questions
Does Fintra calculate ASC 718 stock-comp expense automatically?
Yes. Fintra establishes grant-date fair value for each option grant, amortizes it across the vesting service period, and posts the monthly stock-comp expense straight to the general ledger. Forfeitures of unvested grants true up previously recognized expense, so the books track actual vesting instead of an estimate.
How does the cap table stay in sync with the general ledger?
The expense your books report is derived from the same grants your cap table records - they are one system, not two files you reconcile. When you add a grant or a vesting event occurs, the ASC 718 impact flows to the ledger, so the equity line in your close always ties back to the underlying cap table.
Does Fintra provide a 409A valuation?
Fintra provides 409A support: it keeps your valuation inputs, strike prices, and grant dates aligned and time-stamped so grants are priced defensibly and the expense inputs stay consistent. It organizes the equity record around your valuation rather than replacing a qualified 409A appraisal itself.
Can it model SAFEs and convertible notes converting at the next round?
Yes. The cap table records SAFEs and convertible notes with their caps and discounts, and you can model how they convert into equity at a given round price and valuation. That keeps your fully diluted ownership realistic for fundraising conversations instead of ignoring instruments that will dilute everyone later.
Stay in the loop
One practical finance briefing a week - new guides, checklists, and benchmarks.
Put equity on the same ledger as your books
Start free, no card required. Load your cap table and see ASC 718 expense post to the GL.
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