Why use non tax-advantaged share options?

Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
Produced by Tolley in association with Helen Wood of HLN WD TX
Employment Tax
Guidance

Why use non tax-advantaged share options?

Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
Produced by Tolley in association with Helen Wood of HLN WD TX
Employment Tax
Guidance
imgtext

Share options

An employee share option is a right to acquire shares in the company have the employee works for, or sometimes its parent. The option usually has a fixed exercise price and a defined period during which it can be exercised.

The fixed price can be anything from zero to the current market value or more. Typically, in order to encourage the retention of staff, the minimum option period will be three years or more.

The intention is to give employees a chance to become involved and interested financially in the success of the company or group they work for and feel more aligned with the shareholders of the company.

If the value of the shares has not exceeded the exercise price when the option becomes exercisable, the employee could defer taking up the offer and wait in the hope that the value increases to give them a gain, depending upon the time limit for the exercise of the option.

See Example 1.

Tax efficiency

It must be said that non tax-advantaged

Continue reading the full document
To gain access to additional expert tax guidance, workflow tools, generative tax AI, and tax research, register for a free trial of Tolley+™
TAKE A FREE TRIAL NOW
Helen Wood
Helen Wood linkedinicon

Founder, HLN WD TX , Employment Tax

Helen Wood is the founder of HLN WD TX, a share schemes and employee incentives advisory business.She qualified as a CA with ICAS in 2009 and has worked as a specialist reward and incentives advisor for 17 years, spending 13 of those at KPMG followed by 3 ½ years as an Associate Director at RSM. Helen has worked with businesses ranging from start-ups to fully listed companies, spanning owner-managed businesses, private equity portfolio companies, and AIM listed businesses.She advises on a wide range of employee share schemes and employment related securities matters including the design and implementation of effective management and employee incentives; tax valuation of employment related securities, buy and sell side transaction support, HMRC compliance, tax due diligence and employee ownership trust transactions.

Read moreRead more
Powered by Tolley+™
  • 23 Mar 2026 15:23

Home/ Tolley Tax Guidance/ Employment Tax / Providing share awards to employees

Popular Articles

Corporation Tax

Premiums on the grant or surrender of a lease

Premiums on the grant or surrender of a leasePremiums on the grant of a lease ― outlineWhen a property investor grants a lease, potentially this could be done on the basis that the tenant pays a premium for the initial grant of the lease, in addition to also paying rent over the term of the lease.

14 Jul 2020 12:58 | Produced by Tolley in association with Rob Durrant-Walker of Crane Dale Tax, part of AMS Group Read more Read more
Corporation Tax

Overseas property businesses for companies

Overseas property businesses for companiesOverviewReal estate income is generally taxed where the property is located; the UK tax treaties generally allow the jurisdiction where the land is located to tax income from the land.Therefore, a UK company with overseas property may be subject to tax in

14 Jul 2020 12:22 | Produced by Tolley in association with Rob Durrant-Walker of Crane Dale Tax, part of AMS Group Read more Read more
Corporation Tax

Withholding tax

Withholding taxIntroductionUK tax must be withheld on UK payments including:•interest•royalties•rental incomeUK withholding tax may be reduced under the provisions of a double tax treaty (DTT). Prior to 1 June 2021, payments of interest and royalties made to EU resident associated companies were

14 Jul 2020 14:01 | Produced by Tolley Read more Read more