About Share Incentives
The world of share incentives and employee ownership is currently one of the hottest topics and a huge priority for the current government. The law is constantly changing and companies are regularly having to grapple with new legislation, new guidance and new ideas. In such a complex, ever-changing area, where the repercussions of getting it wrong can be unforgiving, companies need to understand the law and implement it correctly.
Corporate governance content
Reports on executive pay are regularly in the news. We include subtopics on corporate governance, remuneration issues for financial services firms and a comparison of UK Corporate Governance remuneration principles.
Disguised remuneration
Get updated documents and a Practice Note examining common disguised remuneration scenarios in share schemes. There’s nothing like this elsewhere.
Key Share Incentives developments
Keeping up-to-date on developments naturally important. We produce a weekly Share Incentives highlights report and email it straight to subscribers' inboxes. It's also posted on our news carousel.
Topics We Cover
Our Share Incentives Experts
Nicky Griffin
Stephen Woodhouse
David Pett
William Franklin
David Cohen
Latest Share Incentives News
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes (1) publication of the Companies (Directors’ Remuneration and Audit) (Amendment)...
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes (1) the government’s Call for Evidence as part of the new independent review of the...
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes (1) Spring Statement 2025, (2) HMRC’s Employment Related Securities Bulletin 59,...
Tax analysis: A summary of the key business tax announcements made in the Spring Statement on 26 March 2025. Key announcements include: (1) a...
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes (1) an update on the progress of Finance Bill 2025 and (2) a further focus on...
Latest Share Incentives Practice Notes
How employment income is taxed—non-cash earnings or benefitsIn addition to cash earnings, such as wages or salaries, many reward packages include...
UK listing and prospectus regime reform—progress trackerThe UK Listing Review was launched by HM Treasury at the end of 2020 to gather evidence and...
Brexit and IP completion day—implications for employment lawyers [Archived]ARCHIVED: This archived Practice Note outlines the key general implications...
Brexit legislation trackerThis Practice Note tracks the progress of UK legislation introduced as part of the legislative project associated with the...
Sale of a company out of an employee ownership trustWhat is an employee ownership trust?An employee ownership trust (EOT) is an employee benefit trust...
Latest Share Incentives Precedents
Employee–Ownership Trust DeedThis Deed is dated [insert date on which this deed is executed by all parties]Parties1[Insert name of Company] whose...
EMI rollover agreementThis Agreement is made on [insert date of execution of the agreement]Parties1[insert name of acquiring company whose shares are...
Section 218 IHTA 1984 noticeHM Revenue and CustomsTrustsBX9 1EL[DATE]Dear HMRC[insert name of the employee benefit trust] (the EBT)Please accept this...
Board minutes establishing EOT[insert name of Company]Company No [insert registered number of Company](the Company)Minutes of a Meeting of the Board...
SIP Partnership share agreement including matching sharesParties1ParticipantName: [insert name of participant]Home Address: [insert address of...
Latest Share Incentives Q&As
Featured Share Incentives content
How do I contact HMRC with a share schemes related query?
How do I contact HMRC with a share schemes related query?HMRC consists of specialist departments dealing with specific areas of employment related...
Malus and clawback
Malus and clawbackThe use of malus and clawbackThe concept of withholding or even recovering value from executives if a material adverse event occurs...
Tax implications of salary sacrifice
Tax implications of salary sacrificeCoronavirus (COVID-19): As part of a series of measures put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19),...
Corporation tax relief and employee share schemes
Corporation tax relief and employee share schemesCorporation tax deduction for costs incurred in setting up and operating employee share schemesCosts...
Underwater share options
Underwater share optionsWhat is an underwater share option?'Underwater option' is the term used to describe a share option (granted under any share...
What happens to restricted stock units or stock options that have vested during an employee's notice period (assuming the employee is still employed at the vesting date)?
Comparison of UK and US share incentive arrangements
Comparison of UK and US share incentive arrangementsCompanies in both the US and the UK have a long history of involving employees in equity...
Nil paid shares and partly paid shares—practical considerations
Nil paid shares and partly paid shares—practical considerationsWhat are nil paid shares and partly paid shares?When shares are issued, their...
Growth shares—practical examples and comparisons with options
Growth shares—practical examples and comparisons with optionsWhat are growth shares?Growth shares, also known as value shares or hurdle shares, are a...
What is a long-term incentive plan?
What is a long-term incentive plan?A long-term incentive plan (LTIP) is a term that is commonly used among listed companies to describe executive...
Unapproved share options—tax treatment
Unapproved share options—tax treatmentSpecific income tax rules (in sections 471–487 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (Part 7,...
EMI—HMRC annual return
EMI—HMRC annual returnThis Practice Note details the following:•the EMI annual return form•the pre-registration and timing of completion of the annual...
Employee share schemes—dealing with leavers
Employee share schemes—dealing with leaversWhat are leavers?Departing individuals are known generically as ‘leavers’ but the reason behind the...
An introduction to deferred share bonus plans
An introduction to deferred share bonus plansDeferred share bonus: key elementsDeferred share bonus plans are typically constituted by the following...
Implementing share plans—ways to manage dilution of existing shareholders
Implementing share plans—ways to manage dilution of existing shareholdersWhat is share dilution?Share dilution happens when a company issues...
Notice of exercise of option
Notice of exercise of optionThe Company Secretary[insert date of letter][insert name of company who granted the option] (Company)[[insert address of...
Understanding US non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements and Internal Revenue Code Section 409A
Understanding US non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements and Internal Revenue Code Section 409ARelevance of non-qualified deferred...
What is a SIP?
What is a SIP?This Practice Note provides an introduction to the HMRC tax-advantaged share incentive plan (SIP). It provides a summary of:•the types...
Associated legal terms
Exercise of share options
Share options gives the option holder the right to buy and sell shares at a predetermined price. The exercise of share options relates to the process of paying that pre-determined price (know as the exercise/strike/option price [can we link to this glossary term]) and receiving the shares under the option.
Investment Association (IA)
An institutional investor organisation representing UK investment managers, formerly known as the Investment Management Association (IMA). The Investment Association (IA) are responsible for the publication of the Investment Association Principles of Remuneration - http://www.ivis.co.uk/guidelines
Unapproved share option
'Unapproved option' is used to refer to any share option that does not benefit from HMRC tax advantageous treatment.
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