HMRC will be changing the way new and existing employee share schemes and arrangements are administered effective from 6 April 2014.

From this April, employers will have to register employee share schemes and arrangements online. In additional, companies will have to file all information returns online from April 2015.

The changes will affect:

Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI)

Company Share Option Plans (CSOP)

Save As You Earn option schemes (SAYE)

Share Incentive Plans (SIP)

any non-tax advantaged arrangements

Employers operating these schemes must register all existing and new employee share schemes and arrangements online from 6 April 2014. They must also self-certify that any tax advantaged schemes meet certain requirements, failing which any tax advantages will be lost.

Employers have to be registered and signed up for the PAYE online service before you can register for the Employment Related Securities (ERS) service.

To use ERS, employers must be registered for HMRC taxes and signed up as an organisation for online services.

Registered businesses that do not use the PAYE online service will need to add PAYE to use the ERS service. HMRC will provide further details on how to register before April 2014.

In addition, from April 2015, all information returns must be filed online. Schemes previously approved will lose their tax advantages if employers do not register their schemes and arrangements by 6 July 2015.