GEO INSIGHTS

Denmark has proposed draft legislation to expand tax relief for employee share schemes, removing the 50% salary cap and extending eligibility to companies up to 10 years old with as many as 150 employees and turnover up to DKK200m. The bill also suspends the carbon tax on fishing from 2026–28, phasing it in from 2029, alongside new VAT exemptions for education under age 30 and adjustments to corporate tax collection rules. If approved, the measures would take effect on January 1, 2026, with consultation open until September 25, 2025.

The Centre on Mutual and Co-Owned Business at Kellogg College has awarded Professors Andrew Pendleton and Andrew Robinson the inaugural Nigel Mason Award for Employee Ownership Research, recognising their paper on employee ownership trusts as a model of impactful scholarship. The award, launched in memory of employee ownership advocate Nigel Mason, highlights outstanding contributions that advance understanding and practice in the field. Other shortlisted researchers, Professor Niels Mygind and Martin Stucki, were also commended for their work on employee ownership models and entrepreneurship.

Employee stock options often look more valuable on paper than in reality, with taxes, timing, and execution risk significantly reducing headline gains. Even a £40,000 paper gain might shrink to £25,000 or less once tax (the first haircut), time delays (the second haircut), and exit uncertainty (the third haircut) are factored in. The key is to evaluate the tax wrapper (EMI being best, CSOP a backup, unapproved the weakest), the timing of payout, and the real likelihood of a successful exit.

The UK’s new Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PISCES), launched in 2025 under a five-year regulatory sandbox, creates a regulated platform for intermittent trading of private company shares, bridging the gap between private and public markets. It provides liquidity for employees and early investors, offers pension funds and institutions access to private equity in line with regulatory goals, and allows companies to control trading parameters while retaining capital structure flexibility. While PISCES enhances transparency and capital formation, it does not guarantee continuous liquidity or raise new capital, making due diligence and governance alignment critical for both investors and private firms.

The New Zealand Government’s new tax bill introduces measures to attract migrants and ease compliance, including a special “non-resident visitor” rule allowing digital nomads to work in New Zealand for up to 275 days without income tax, and a new foreign investment fund calculation method (RAM) to simplify tax for migrants on overseas shares. Key domestic changes include deferred tax timing for employee share schemes in unlisted companies, phased increases to KiwiSaver employer contributions, and tax exemptions for income from residential solar electricity sales. Other updates clarify SaaS exemptions from non-resident contractors’ tax, align PIE rules for cryptoassets, and repeal certain trust disclosure and taxpayer information provisions to simplify reporting.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are experiencing a resurgence in 2025, moving beyond manufacturing into mainstream industries as regulators and lawmakers push for broader employee ownership and new financing options. ESOPs offer powerful tax advantages and succession planning benefits, but they come with costs, complexity, and long-term obligations, prompting some businesses to consider Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) as a simpler alternative focused on legacy and cultural continuity. For business owners, the choice between ESOPs, EOTs, or other succession strategies ultimately depends on priorities such as liquidity, tax efficiency, employee retention, and preserving company values.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has granted tax exemptions for employee share schemes under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 for the 2025–26 tax year, removing immediate tax liability when options are granted. Tax is only applied later, depending on the scheme’s structure—such as when transfer restrictions are lifted, shares are issued, or rights/options are sold. This reform is designed to encourage companies to adopt share schemes, align employee incentives with company growth, and ease tax burdens for workers.

In South Africa, mergers are now scrutinized not only for competition effects but also for public interest, with employee share ownership plans (ESOPs) becoming a decisive factor for approval. The 2024 guidelines mandate measurable increases in black and worker ownership, meaning even competitively neutral mergers can be blocked without transformative ownership structures. For multinationals, ESOPs are no longer compliance formalities but strategic tools to secure approvals, align with national transformation goals, and build inclusive, sustainable businesses.