Build a share scheme that scales

A share scheme helps attract and keep the right people, motivates them to go the extra mile, and is often tax-friendly.

In short, it’s a win-win: your team benefits as the company grows, and so does the business. See for yourself.

Enterprise Management Incentives (EMIs), Company Share Option Plans (CSOPs), growth shares, unapproved share options, phantom shares and you can issue plain ordinary shares too.

It depends (predictable, we know), firstly, on the type of share scheme. And secondly, if you’re involving lawyers or accountants or using ShareTech.

If you join Vestd:

Roughly speaking, for straightforward company structures, setting up HMRC-backed schemes such as EMI or CSOP can take 3–6 weeks. This is because HMRC need to approve the valuation put forward.

Growth share scheme valuations don’t need the nod from HMRC, but are still important for determining the hurdle rate (which is key).

So for these schemes, between 1–3 weeks, if you adopt our Model Articles of Association, which contain growth share-friendly clauses. Otherwise, it may take a little longer if you want to modify your own.

For unapproved option schemes, a valuation isn’t a statutory requirement, but worth getting to help you work out the exercise price for the shares. For these schemes, it’s usually a 1–2 week turnaround.

Absolutely! Switching is easy with our tailored migration service.

Choose the support level that suits you; our plans are priced accordingly. In the platform itself, all workflows offer guidance at every step, and you can always reach out to support if you get stuck.

Vestd has two-way integration with Companies House. In simple terms: they sync up.

The result is a cap table that auto-updates in real-time, accurate records, timely submissions (i.e. confirmation statements, SH01s) and easy updates (i.e. PSCs details) in one place, not two.

As for HMRC, you can submit annual notifications via the platform. And request a new or refreshed EMI/CSOP valuation directly. Our team will then prepare and send it to HMRC to get their approval.

Setting and customising vesting schedules is a key feature of our scheme designer. There, you can select a duration, any cliff period, as well as time and performance-based criteria. You can duplicate your scheme design for future hires, keeping the same conditions.

It depends (again).

EMI options give employees favourable tax treatment on gains (BADR), no National Insurance on exercise, and employers get a corporation tax deduction.

CSOPs allow employees to exercise options up to £60,000 without paying Income Tax or NI, while employers can claim a CT deduction.

With both of these schemes, the tax benefits apply only if specific qualifying criteria are met.

With growth shares, typically, Capital Gains Tax applies on any increase in value rather than Income Tax, and there’s usually no NI due.

The taxation of unapproved options is more nuanced. Learn more.

If you’re ever in doubt, consult a tax professional.

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