RVNC exercise and hold — for some people, it can make sense to accelerate income into 2017. Increasing 2017 taxable income can increase state income tax liability, which can then be paid in 2017 and deducted. The concept is, if the state tax will have to be paid at some point in the not too distant future, why not pay it in a year when the state tax can be deducted. As against that, ordinary income rates will be slightly lower (37 v 39.6) in 2018 so one would have to be in some place like California or NYC for this to make much of a difference.