Express Funded Account: Payout Policy

Congratulations again and welcome to the big leagues! It’s time to talk about what every trader cares about most — paying yourself. You should always pay yourself after a few winning days, but don’t forget that trading isn’t a one-and-done activity. Pay yourself while also positioning yourself for the long haul.

What is the Payout Policy?

In the Express Funded Account users can request a payout of up to 50% of their account balance after accumulating 5 winning trading days per payout request. A winning trading day is counted when a day’s Net PNL is $100 or more.

Winning days are accumulated as a running total between payout requests, they do not need to be consecutive days. This means that after making a payout, a user will complete 5 additional winning trading days before being eligible for their next payout. This is required for each payout request.

Additional Payout Information

• If a rule is broken in the account, the user will receive their profits greater than the account’s starting balance if they have reached at least 5 winning days. A winning trading day is counted when a day’s Net PNL is $100 or more.
• If a rule is broken in the account and there are no profits greater than the account’s starting balance, the remainder of the firm's capital will remain theirs.
• If an account is closed due to 90 days of inactivity or a user voluntarily requests to close their account, the user will receive their profits greater than the starting balance if they have reached at least 5 winning days. A winning trading day is counted when a day’s Net PNL is $100 or more.

How can I Request a Payout?

You can submit a request by emailing support@topstep.com. Please use the subject Express Funded Account Payout Request so we can assist you in a timely manner.

When a payout is requested and approved, we will remove the funds from the user's account. Topstep will then start the process of sending the funds to the user via their requested method. Payouts are generally dispersed to the user within seven (7) to fourteen (14) business days.

We can process payouts using the following methods:

• Checks: We can send any user a paper check in the mail for the amount requested. Checks sent outside the US will likely take significantly longer than 7 business days, and we do not provide an estimated delivery date for physical mail.

• ACH Wire: Bank wire available for traders with a US-based bank account (the user does not need to be a US resident). There is no transfer fee for ACH wires. The bank account must be in the user's name.
• Standard Bank Wire: Bank wire is available for users with banks based outside the US. Users living outside the US must submit their bank information using the SWIFT format to ensure a successful transfer of funds. For standard wire transfers under $500, a $50 transaction fee will be applied. There is no transfer fee for wire transfers over $500. The standard wire is the quickest and efficient method available to make payouts for users outside the US. The bank account must be in the user's name.

We are unable to process payouts via PayPal, and we cannot transfer funds from the Express Funded Account to a personal trading account held by the user.

What is the Profit Split?

Users will receive 100% of the profits from payouts, up to a total of $5,000. After the first $5,000 of funds have been received by the user, the profit split will become 80/20, with the user receiving 80% of payouts and Topstep retains 20% of the requested payout. To be clear, this is per user. If you take $5,000 and then lose your Express Funded Account, your next funded-level account payout will be 80/20 when you start back up again.

Once the payout request is processed, the Trailing Max Drawdown will be automatically set to the starting account balance (the user cannot allow the account balance to reach or go below $0 after a payout).

What Tax Form Should I Fill Out?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires we collect certain information before any money is paid by a company (TopstepTrader, LLC) to a vendor (User). Depending on their nationality, location, and business status, Funded Traders will either fill out a W-9, W8BEN, or W8BEN-E.

*If the IRS or other governing bodies specifically request reporting, we are obliged to provide
the information. This is rare.