Company: AAOI
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-019126
Chunk: 24

Company: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 24
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 “disqualifying disposition,” and the participant generally will recognize taxable ordinary income in the year of disposition equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the option exercise price (or, if less, the excess of the amount realized on the disposition of the shares over the option exercise price). The balance of the participant’s gain on a disqualifying disposition, if any, will be taxed as short-term or long-term capital gain, as the case may be.

With respect to both nonqualified stock options and incentive stock options, special rules apply if a participant uses shares already held by the participant to pay the exercise price.

#### Stock Appreciation Rights.
A participant generally will not recognize taxable income upon the grant or vesting of a SAR with a grant price at least equal to the fair market value of the stock on the grant date and no additional deferral feature. Upon the exercise of a SAR, a participant generally will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares underlying the SAR on the date of exercise and the grant price of the SAR. When a participant sells the shares, the participant will have short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, as the case may be, equal to the difference between the amount the participant received from the sale and the tax basis of the shares sold. The

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tax basis of the shares generally will be equal to the greater of the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date or the SAR exercise price.

#### Unrestricted Stock Awards.
**Upon receipt of a stock award that is not subject to forfeiture, vesting or other similar restrictions, a participant generally will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares at such time over the amount, if any, paid by the participant with respect to the shares. When a participant sells the shares, the participant generally will have short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, as the case may be, equal to the difference between the amount the participant received from the sale and the tax basis of the shares sold. The tax basis of the shares generally will be equal to the amount, if any, paid by the participant with respect to the shares plus the amount of taxable ordinary income recognized by the participant upon receipt of the shares.

Restricted Stock Awards, Stock Units, Performance Shares and Performance Units. A participant generally will not have taxable income upon