In the Spring budget 2023, the following reform to the CSOP rules and changes to the EMI rules, effective from 6 April 2023, have been announced: Reform of CSOP The CSOP rules will be reformed, as previously announced by the government on 23 September 2022, in the following manner: paragraph 6(1) of the CSOP legislation…

March 16, 2023 Read more >

For many businesses, 2023 will be the year that their current LTIP performance periods will come to an end, for others this may be the point where the LTIP looks as though it is unlikely to deliver any return at all.  For those tasked with reviewing and establishing the value (in all senses) of such…

March 15, 2023 Read more >

On 19th January 2023, HMRC published the Employment Related Securities Bulletin 47. The main contents of the Bulletin are: Changes to the ERS year-end return template Changes to the CSOP limit and share class restrictions Update of the ERS guidance Changes to the ERS year-end return template HMRC has announced that they will be making…

February 24, 2023 Read more >

Companies with Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) have typically been overlooked by Private Equity firms due to their perceived 100% employee-owned structure. However, in recent years, companies have been using more partial ESOPs. Could this be the turn of the tide for PE firms to consider these companies alongside the benefits that an ESOP provides?…

February 24, 2023 Read more >

In November 2022, the Financial Reporting Council (“FRC”) published its annual review of Corporate Governance Code (“the Code”) disclosures.  As previously, it selected a range of 100 companies across the FTSE 350 and Small Cap markets. Whilst much of the findings will only be interesting to fully listed businesses, there are still some important points…

January 26, 2023 Read more >

Listed companies are required to put their directors’ remuneration policy to a shareholder resolution at least every three years. If a company wishes to make any changes to its remuneration policy, it must put the new policy to shareholders for approval at an annual general meeting (AGM). Several listed companies are likely to be seeking…

January 26, 2023 Read more >

On 22 December 2022, HMRC published its tax avoidance bulletin Spotlight 61 – ‘Disguised remuneration: remuneration trusts used to reduce profits and disguise income’ which follows the warning given by HMRC in Spotlight 51 and Spotlight 56 about remuneration trust tax avoidance schemes and explained why these do not work. HMRC have noticed that certain…

January 26, 2023 Read more >

Looking back on a year of turmoil 2022 was supposed to be the year in which we started to get back to normal, or to embrace the “new” normal. In January, COVID was a declining force, inflation was 5.5%, investors anticipated a brighter outlook for the UK economy and the FTSE100 index closed above 7,500…

December 21, 2022 Read more >

On 8th November this year, a (cross party supported) Private Members’ Bill was introduced into Parliament with the aim of updating two of the current share ownership schemes (the share incentive plan, known as SIP, and the save-as-you-earn system, known as SAYE or Sharesave) —and proposes a third scheme. As is the nature of these…

November 22, 2022 Read more >

Last month, we restarted our series of remuneration dinners for Board Chairs, CEOs, Remuneration Committee Chairs and committee members. The format is that about twenty diners participate in what is usually a spirited discussion on a topical remuneration-related theme. This occasion was no exception. The theme for the evening was provided by the Government’s proposed…

November 22, 2022 Read more >

HMRC has recently updated their guidance in the HMRC manuals at ETASSUM54300 on their views about what would and would not constitute acceptable exercise of discretion in the context of EMI Options. Background Paragraph 37 of Schedule 5 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 provides that the terms of any EMI Option…

November 22, 2022 Read more >

The Growth Plan 2022 announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer includes some changes to the employee share schemes, a summary of which is set out below. Company Share Option Plan (CSOP) Perhaps the most significant change announced in the Growth Plan 2022 affects CSOPs. In particular, the individual limit is being increased from £30,000…

October 12, 2022 Read more >