Share plans

Perhaps the only significant announcement for employers in the Budget was for those businesses operating as limited companies who wish to offer share options to their employees under Enterprise Management Incentives.

Until now, it was a requirement that the company or at least one of its group operated ‘wholly or mainly’ in the UK. In order to comply with EU State Aid guidelines, the Finance Bill is to change this requirement so that the company or a group company must merely have a ‘permanent establishment’ in the UK.