Return on Investment in UK Share Schemes: Tax Treatment, Valuation & Key Compliance Issues

Introduction

Participants will develop a focused understanding of how tax considerations drive return on investment in share schemes. This virtual classroom seminar will examine the tax treatment of common UK share schemes, including EMI and unapproved schemes, with emphasis on valuation, relief availability, effective tax rates and HMRC compliance. Participants will learn how tax errors and reporting failures can materially erode returns, particularly on exit, and how robust tax structuring and adviser coordination can significantly improve after-tax outcomes.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive course will cover the following:

• Introduction to return on investment (ROI) in share-based incentive arrangements
• Understanding how ROI differs for founders, investors, and employee participants
• Overview of UK share schemes, including EMI, CSOP, SIP and SAYE and unapproved arrangements
• Comparative analysis of tax-adjusted ROI across common share scheme structures
• Designing share schemes to align commercial objectives with legal and tax constraints
• The role of vesting, performance conditions and leaver provisions in preserving value
• Valuation and its impact on tax outcomes and effective returns
• HMRC risk, Employment-Related Securities reporting, and common failure points
• Investor and transactional scrutiny of share schemes during fundraises and exits
• Case studies illustrating both successful and failed share scheme implementations
• Worked example tracing a scheme from grant to exit and net ROI

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.