Topics - Employees

Spinout companies - Finance Act 2005 introduced a measure to help employees of Research Institutions (RI) who acquire or have acquired employment-related shares in spinout companies. Guidance on this can be found in the Employment-Related Securities Manual at ERSM100000 onwards.

Share Incentive Plans (SIP) (RTF 82K) - a tax and NIC advantaged plan for all employees. Companies can give up to £3,000 worth of shares a year to each employee. Employees can buy up to £1,500 worth of shares a year. Companies can reward this commitment by giving up to 2 matching shares for each share an employee buys. (Also known as All Employee Share Ownership Plan or Employee Share Plan).

Savings Related Share Option Schemes (SAYE) - tax advantaged scheme for all employees and directors. Participants save up to £250 per month to acquire shares at the end of a 3, 5 or 7 year period.

Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) - Companies with gross assets not exceeding £30 million can grant tax and NIC advantaged share options worth up to £120,000 (£100,000 prior to 6 April 2008) each to any number of employees, subject to total share value of £3 million under EMI.

Company Share Option Plans (CSOP) - up to £30,000 worth of options each can be granted to any number of employees with tax and NIC advantages.

Profit Sharing Schemes (APS) - Awards under existing schemes can be made until the end of December 2002. No new schemes have been approved since April 2001. SIP has now replaced APS.

Securities & securities options without tax & National Insurance contributions (NICs) advantages - tax and NICs treatment of awards of securities and securities options granted by an employer outside the scope of an Inland Revenue approved employee share scheme. You will also find information about NICs Joint Elections in this section.

Help with Form 42 (PDF 184K)