Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

[F1 29 (1) The price at which scheme shares may be acquired by the exercise of a right obtained under the scheme—

(a) must be stated at the time the right is obtained, and

(b) except where stated under provision included in the scheme pursuant to sub-paragraph (2) below, must not be manifestly less than the market value of shares of the same class at the material time.

(2) The scheme may provide that, if sub-paragraph (3) below applies, scheme shares may be acquired by the exercise of a right obtained under the scheme at a price which is not manifestly less than 85 per cent. of the market value of shares of the same class at the material time.

(3) This sub-paragraph applies if the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (4)(a) and, as the case may be, (b) or (c) below, are met—

(a) where at the time the right is obtained the scheme is not a group scheme, as respects the grantor;

(b) where at the time the right is obtained the scheme is a group scheme, as respects each company to which the scheme is expressed to extend at that time.

(4) The conditions are—

(a) that the company has established, or is at the time the right is obtained a participating company in relation to, a scheme which is at that time an approved savings-related share option scheme or an approved profit sharing scheme (a “qualifying scheme”);

(b) where there is only one qualifying scheme, that every employee eligible to participate in that scheme at the time the right is obtained has, in the twelve months immediately preceding that time, been informed by an appropriate person of the scheme’s existence;

(c) where there is more than one qualifying scheme, that, in the case of each of those schemes, every employee eligible to participate in that scheme at the time the right is obtained has, in the twelve months immediately preceding that time, been informed by an appropriate person of the scheme’s existence.

(5) In determining whether the condition specified in sub-paragraph (4)(a) above is met, the withdrawal of approval under paragraph 3 above with effect from a time before the right is obtained shall be disregarded if the withdrawal takes place retrospectively from a time after the right is obtained.

(6) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4)(b) and (c) above, an employee has been informed of the existence of a scheme by an appropriate person if he has been informed by one or more of the following—

(a) a company by virtue of employment with which the employee is eligible to participate in the scheme,

(b) the grantor, and

(c) where the scheme under which the right to acquire the shares is obtained is a group scheme, any other company which is a participating company in relation to that scheme.

(7) The scheme may provide for such variation of the price at which scheme shares may be acquired as may be necessary to take account of any variation in the share capital of which the scheme shares form part.

(8) In this paragraph, references to the material time are to the time the right to acquire the scheme shares is obtained or, if the Board and the grantor agree in writing, such earlier time or times as may be provided in the agreement.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 29 substituted (1.1.1992) by Finance Act 1991 (c. 31, SIF 63:1), s. 39(1)(7)