Share plans – new registration and online filing regime in the UK

January 7, 2014

Key points

A new registration and filing regime for share plans came into force on 6 April 2014. In summary:

The changes should make it easier for companies to operate share plans in the UK. Further information on the new regime is set out below.

What is the registration process?

The new online registration process applies to all share plans involving UK employees, both tax-advantaged and non tax-advantaged.  Registration is necessary in order to facilitate the annual online filing for the 2014-15 tax year, and therefore any plan in respect of which there will be a reportable event for that year will need to be registered by 6 July 2015.

What is self-certification?

The new self-certification regime will apply to tax advantaged CSOPs, SIPs and SAYE plans.  These plans will no longer require specific approval from HMRC.  Instead, companies operating such plans will need to make a declaration that the plan meets the relevant legislative requirements.  Plans already in existence at 6th April 2014 will need to be self-certified by 6th July 2015, and new plans by the 6th July in the tax year following that in which the plan was first operated.  EMI options are not subject to the same self-certification regime but from 6 April 2014 all new EMI option grants will need to be notified to HMRC online.

There is also a new enquiry and penalty regime so that HMRC can ensure that tax-advantaged plans are being operated correctly.  However, HMRC has confirmed that if a plan was previously approved by HMRC before 6th April 2014, it will not raise enquiries into whether the plan satisfies the legislative requirements.

What are the annual return filing requirements?

Companies that operate share based incentive plans for their UK employees are required to file an annual return by 6 July after the end of the relevant tax year.  For the 2014-15 tax year and thereafter, annual returns will need to be filed online.

What should companies be doing?

As most of the changes (except in relation to EMI notifications) do not come into effect until 2015, companies will have plenty of time to take the necessary actions.  The key actions for companies will be:

Resources

HMRC employment-related securities bulletins

HMRC employment-related securities annual return templates

Abbiss Cadres update June 2014

Abbiss Cadres update December 2013

For further information please contact Jonathan Fletcher Rogers on 0203 051 5711 at Abbiss Cadres LLP – www.abbisscadres.com.

Disclaimer

Content is for general information purposes only. The information provided is not intended to be comprehensive and it does not constitute or contain legal or other advice. If you require assistance in relation to any issue please seek specific advice relevant to your particular circumstances. In particular, no responsibility shall be accepted by the authors or by Abbiss Cadres LLP for any losses occasioned by reliance on any content appearing on or accessible from this article. For further legal information click here.

Circular 230 disclosure

To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS and other taxing authorities, we inform you that any tax advice contained in this article (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties that may be imposed on any taxpayer or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

Copying

If you would like to copy or otherwise reproduce this article then you may do so provided that: (1) any such copy or reproduction is for your own personal use or if it is made available to any third party it is done so on a free of charge basis; and (2) the article is reproduced in full together with the contact details, disclaimer and any logos as they appear on each article.

Category:

CELIA Alliance
CELIA Alliance members are identified here. Members of the CELIA Alliance are each independent law firms and do not practice law jointly with any other member of the CELIA Alliance. “CELIA Alliance” and “CELIA” are not trading names. For more information about the CELIA Alliance click here.

Disclaimer
Content is for general information purposes only. The information provided is not intended to be comprehensive and it does not constitute or contain legal or other advice. If you require assistance in relation to any issue please seek specific advice relevant to your particular circumstances. In particular, no responsibility shall be accepted by the authors or by Abbiss Cadres LLP for any losses occasioned by reliance on any content appearing on or accessible from this newsletter. For further legal information click here.

Copying
If you would like to copy or otherwise reproduce this article then you may do so provided that: (1) any such copy or reproduction is for your own personal use or if it is made available to any third party it is done so on a free of charge basis; and (2) the article is reproduced in full together with the contact details, disclaimer and any logos as they appear on each article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *