Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

2 (1) Where, under an approved share incentive plan, shares are awarded to employees as free or matching shares by reason of their employment with a company, a deduction is allowed under this paragraph to that company.

(2) Any such deduction—

(a) is of an amount equal to the market value of the shares at the time they are acquired by the trustees, and

(b) must be made for the period of account in which the shares are awarded to employees in accordance with the plan.

(3) Except as provided by sub-paragraph (1), no deduction may be made by the company or any associated company in respect of the provision of those shares.

This is subject to paragraphs 7 and 8 (deductions for costs of setting up, and contributions to running expenses of, plan).

(4) Where the shares are awarded under a group plan, the market value of the shares at the time they are acquired by the trustees shall for the purposes of this paragraph be taken to be the relevant proportion of the total market value of the shares included in the award.

(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) “the relevant proportion” means the proportion that the number of shares in the award awarded to the employees of the company concerned bears to the total number of shares in the award.

(6) In determining the market value of any shares for the purposes of this paragraph, if shares have been acquired by the trustees on different days it shall be assumed that those acquired on an earlier day are awarded to employees under the plan before those acquired by the trustees on a later day.

(7) If a deduction is made under this paragraph by a company, no deduction may be made by any other company under this paragraph in respect of the provision of the shares.

(8) This paragraph has effect subject to paragraph 4 (cases in which no deduction is allowed).