How to submit your annual notification when activity has taken place

You must let HMRC know activity has taken place during the tax year.

You must submit your EMI annual notification before 6th July for the activity that has taken place in the previous tax year.

If no changes have been made to existing options and nothing has been cancelled or exercised during the tax year, you should submit a nil return instead. 

This FAQ provides step-by-step instructions on submitting your annual notification through HMRC's Employment Related Securities (ERS) system. 

 

Please note if you're submitting an annual notification for an 'other ERS' (i.e. unapproved options or growth shares), the screenshots below will look different to your screen but the process should be the same. 

 

To submit the return you need to log into the PAYE section of HMRC's website and select Employment Related Securities. Once in the ERS system select the scheme you're interested in filing for from the list of schemes and arrangements.


Once you have selected the registered scheme you wish to notify – you will be asked what type of notification you wish to view and submit.


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Select to view and submit End of year returns and click Next.

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This will take to a page to view all the annual returns previously filed and show you what has not yet been filed (Not provided)– Click on Submit annual return – for the tax year you wish to notify.

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Click on Start now.

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Choose Yes and click Continue– if none of the above has taken place then please see out Nil Return Annual guide.

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To make the submission using the spreadsheet we have supplied please select the OpenDocument format and Continue.


Upload your ODS

Please select the ods file and then click Upload.

The system will then let you know that they will check the document for errors.

Errors
Click Continue

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Hopefully you will not see this page however if errors are detected – it will let you know and direct you towards another site for further details.


The format of the spreadsheet is very exacting so if you have filled in additional information you are likely to encounter this screen. You should follow the link to the file check service to get details on the exact errors.


If you encounter date and number formatting issues you should edit the spreadsheet and change the field type to text which will allow you to enter the details exactly as requested with the correct number of decimal places or date format.

Once adjusted please re-upload via choose a different file to upload.

If the sheet was found to have no errors...

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Enter your registered company name and address as well as company number and company tax reference and click Continue.

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You will then be asked about any subsidiary companies to ensure the scheme is still compliant. Choose Yes or No and click Continue.

Check Info

Finally, review the information you have entered and click Accept and submit your return.

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Please download the Confirmation PDF for your records, and copy the reference number. You can then save the reference number and upload the submitted .ods sheet back on Vestd's annual notification page.

 

Our team, content and app can help you make informed decisions. However, any guidance and support should not be considered as 'legal or financial advice.'