It's not all bad news...

Frequently asked questions

• Why am I not eligible for EMI?

  There could be several reasons why your business or team isn't eligible for EMI, including but not limited to:

  • Activity in a disqualified industry
  • Gross assets limits
  • Headcount limits

  • Working hours

  For the record, this quiz just provides a steer based on your answers to broad questions concerning the EMI criteria. 

  For an answer tailored to you, speak with our team.

• What are the criteria?

  Both the company and employees must be eligible to qualify for EMI. You'll find the full breakdown for each here.

• What's changing in April 2026?

  The new EMI rules are effective as of 6 April 2026. But given the time it takes to set up an EMI scheme and hear back from HMRC, the changes are relevant now.

  In a nutshell: 

  • The employee limit will increase to 500, up from 250.
  • The gross assets cap will rise to £120m, up from £30m.
  • The total option value limit will be £6m, up from £3m.
  • Employees will have up to 15 years to exercise their options, instead of 10.