The distribution of shares is becoming an increasingly popular incentive which companies are regularly using to recruit or retain staff. It offers an attractive alternative to cash bonuses and according to new research in the UK and USA, it can also increase the productivity of your staff.

Employees can obtain shares in their company without necessarily suffering a large tax bill through two routes. The first being Share Incentive Plans but the most popular form of share ownership for employees comes in the form of Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI). The latter allows selected employees to be given the opportunity to acquire a significant number of shares in their employer through the issue of options.

Benefits

– Employees gain a stake in their company which results in increased staff retention and motivation.

– There is no direct cost to the employer in comparison with wage increases or cash bonuses.

– Usually there are no NIC charges for the employer when the employee sells their shares.

Points to consider

There are a number of issues to consider in deciding whether EMI is suitable for your company: 

– Does the company qualify?

– Which employees are eligible and who should be issued options?

– What type of shares will be issued?

– When will the rights to exercise options arise?

– The costs of setting up the option plans are not tax deductible.

How we can help

We can help you decide whether EMI is appropriate for your business and whether the business will qualify.

We are also able to help you with the necessary documentation required to establish and operate EMI and advise on the costs so please do contact us.