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Do the ESS shuffle

16 August 2016 / Megan Lewis-Bourke
Issue: 4563 / Categories: Comment & Analysis
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The merits of the employee shareholder scheme.

KEY POINTS

  • A £100 000 capital gains cap applies to ESS shares issued on or after 17 March 2016.
  • Employees have to relinquish some employee rights in exchange for ESS shares.
  • Some companies that cannot offer the EMI scheme may find the ESS a suitable alternative.
  • Care must be taken with growth shares in ESS schemes.

While throwing some shapes on the dance floor at my cousin’s wedding my mind wandered to enterprise management incentives (EMI) and employee shareholder status (ESS). In my mind the wedding disco equivalent of EMI is the old favourite that the DJ knows will get everyone up dancing – Summer of ‘69 perhaps or Sweet Caroline – whereas ESS is the edgy Ibiza-style track that is a bit of a risk.

Most people are comfortable with EMI – advisers ...

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