Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

4 (1) No deduction is allowed under paragraph 2 or 3 (deductions for providing free or matching shares or for additional expenses in providing partnership shares) in the following cases.

(2) No deduction is allowed in respect of shares awarded to an individual under the plan unless, at the time of the award, any earnings from the required employment are (or would be) chargeable earnings.

(3) In sub-paragraph (2)—

• “chargeable earnings” means general earnings to which any of the charging provisions of Chapter 4 or 5 of Part 2 of ITEPA 2003 apply, and

• the “required employment” means the employment by reference to which the individual is eligible to participate in the award.

(4) In sub-paragraph (3), the reference to any of the charging provisions of Chapter 4 or 5 of Part 2 of that Act has the same meaning as it has in the employment income Parts of ITEPA 2003 (see sections 14(3) and 20(3) of that Act).

(5) No deduction is allowed in respect of shares that are liable to depreciate substantially in value for reasons that do not apply generally to shares in the company.

(6) No deduction is allowed if a deduction has been made—

(a) by the company, or

(b) by an associated company of the company,

in respect of the provision of the same shares for this or another trust.

(7) Sub-paragraph (6) applies whatever the nature or purpose of the other trust and whatever the basis on which the deduction was made.

(8) For the purposes of determining whether the same shares have been provided to more than one trust, if shares have been acquired by the trustees of the plan trust on different days it shall be assumed that those acquired on an earlier day are awarded under the plan before those acquired by the trustees on a later day.

(9) No deduction is allowed in respect of the award of shares acquired by the trustees by virtue of a payment in respect of which a deduction has been made under paragraph 9 (deduction for contribution to plan trust) or 10(3) (further deduction where deduction under paragraph 9 withdrawn).