You need to pay taxes on your stock. With options you only pay when you exercise so you can wait until liquidity to make sure you can afford the taxes. If you are getting straight stock you need to pay taxes that year
But if you're getting straight stock, odds are the price is so low to where it shouldn't be much. At least, nowhere near the tax bill one would get if they tried to exercise options in a company that's taken off (but not gone public yet).
