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) a change in bonus rates for SAYE schemes, (2) a focus on executive remuneration...
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes a focus on executive remuneration, as the 2025 AGM season continues....
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes(1) HMRC’s new package of tax administration and simplification measures announced...
Tax analysis: On 28 April 2025, the government announced a package of technical tax policy proposals aimed at simplifying and reforming the tax system...
This week's edition of Share Incentives weekly highlights includes (1) an update from the FCA on its PISCES sandbox framework following proposals in...
Latest Share Incentives Practice Notes
Cashless exercise of optionsWhat is a cashless exercise of options?The ‘cashless exercise’ of options or a 'cashless exercise facility' refers to the...
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...
Introduction to the EU GDPR and UK GDPRThis Practice Note provides an introduction to both the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, Regulation...
Nil paid shares and partly paid shares—practical considerationsThis Practice Note considers what nil paid shares and partly paid shares (PPS) are and...
Gender pay gap reportingThe gender pay gap reporting obligations are set out in the following pieces of legislation:•Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap...
Latest Share Incentives Precedents
Umbrella LTIP rulesPART ONE—GENERAL PROVISIONS1Definitions and interpretations1.1DefinitionsAnnual Bonus•means in respect of a particular Financial...
LTIP—deed of grantThis Deed is entered into on [insert date on which the deed is executed] by [insert name of the company granting the Awards] whose...
Notice of exercise of optionThe Company Secretary[insert date of letter][insert name of company who granted the option] (Company)[[insert address of...
Letter granting an immediately exercisable unapproved share option[TO BE PRINTED ON COMPANY HEADED NOTEPAPER][date]To [insert name of option...
LTIP — notice of exercise of optionThe Company Secretary[insert date][insert name of company that granted the option] (Company)[[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
Executive Remuneration Working Group (ERWG)
An independent panel established by the Investment Association in 2015 to address the concern that executive remuneration had become too complex and was not fulfilling its purpose.
Growth Shares
Growth shares, also sometimes referred to as value shares or hurdle shares, are a type of employee share incentive arrangement which involves a specially constituted class of shares which have restricted rights.
Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA)
Previously known as the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), the main trade organisation of the UK occupational pensions industry, with a focus on corporate governance issues and the development of institutional voting guidelines for its members.
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