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
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS)-Corporate published its review of the 2025 UK and Ireland AGM season, highlighting a heightened focus on...
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes a focus on executive pay as the AGM season comes to an end....
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes a focus on executive pay as the AGM season comes to an end....
The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has submitted detailed policy proposals and technical questions to HMRC regarding the Draft Finance Bill...
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes the CIOT’s response to the government’s consultation on modernising and mandating...
Latest Share Incentives Practice Notes
Disguised remuneration—the tax charge and responsibility for paying taxSTOP PRESS: Abolition of non-dom regime and remittance basis of taxation from...
Internationally mobile employees and employment-related securities (pre-6 April 2015) [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is...
How employment income is taxed—concept of general earningsSTOP PRESS: Abolition of non-dom regime and remittance basis of taxation from 2025–26:...
Brexit timelineOn 23 June 2016, the UK held a referendum on its membership of the EU, with a majority voting in favour of the UK leaving the EU. On 29...
Brexit legislation trackerThis Practice Note tracks the progress of UK legislation introduced as part of the legislative project associated with the...
Latest Share Incentives Precedents
Company board minutes approving the termination of an EBTCompany No [insert registered number of company][insert name of company](the Company)Minutes...
Employee benefit trusts (EBT) due diligence questionsIntroductionThis legal due diligence questionnaire relates to the proposed purchase by [insert...
Share incentive plan due diligence questionsIntroductionThis legal due diligence questionnaire relates to the proposed purchase by [insert buyer name]...
General share schemes due diligence questionsIntroductionThis legal due diligence questionnaire relates to the proposed purchase by [insert buyer...
Save as you earn (SAYE) due diligence questionsIntroductionThis legal due diligence questionnaire relates to the proposed purchase by [insert buyer...
Latest Share Incentives Q&As
Featured Share Incentives content
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...
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...
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...
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...
Introduction to enterprise management incentives (EMI) schemes
Introduction to enterprise management incentives (EMI) schemesIntroduction to EMI schemesThe EMI scheme is a highly flexible and tax-efficient scheme...
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...
What is an employee benefit trust?
What is an employee benefit trust?The EBT as a trustAn employee benefit trust (EBT) is a form of trust. A trust refers to the legal relationship...
Phantom share awards and options
Phantom share awards and optionsWhat is a phantom award?Phantom awards, broadly speaking, can be split into two categories, phantom share awards and...
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...
Value Creation Plans
Value Creation PlansWhat is a Value Creation Plan?The term ‘Value Creation Plan’ (VCP) normally refers to an employee incentive plan which is designed...
Cashless exercise of options
Cashless exercise of optionsWhat is a cashless exercise of options?The ‘cashless exercise’ of options or a 'cashless exercise facility' refers to the...
Employee ownership trusts
Employee ownership trustsWhat is an employee ownership trust?An employee ownership trust (EOT) is a particular type of employee benefit trust (EBT)...
Shares for non-executive directors—issues and considerations
Shares for non-executive directors—issues and considerationsMeaning of ‘non-executive director’The general definition of ‘director’ is not exhaustive....
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 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...
Pitfalls of setting up and operating an employee ownership trust
Pitfalls of setting up and operating an employee ownership trustWhat is an employee ownership trust?An employee ownership trust (EOT) is a particular...
Long-term incentive plans—income tax and NICs treatment
Long-term incentive plans—income tax and NICs treatmentTypes of LTIP awardsThe most common type of awards that can be made under a long-term incentive...
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...
Associated legal terms
Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA)
The Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) is an independent membership organisation that champions the interests of small to mid-sized quoted companies (i.e. outside the FTSE 350 but including companies on AIM and companies with securities that are listed on the NEX Exchange Main Board, NEX Exchange Growth Market or NEX Exchange Trading (previously known as ISDX Main Board, ISDX Growth Market and ISDX Secondary Market respectively). One of its aims is to promote high quality corporate governance in quoted companies.
Unapproved share option
'Unapproved option' is used to refer to any share option that does not benefit from HMRC tax advantageous treatment.
Underwater option
Underwater share option is the term used to describe a share option (granted under any share option scheme) which has an exercise price per share greater than the current market value of a share.
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