Important deadlines

If you fail to notify HMRC of your employment related securities (ERS) scheme by the following deadlinesdeadlines, you risk losing any tax benefits for you and your employees. 

Tax-advantaged schemes

You should register new tax-advantaged schemes by 6 July following the tax year they were set up.

If you miss this deadline, you’ll need to follow the late registration process. 

Find out morehow aboutemployment related securities work if you’re an employer, including how tax-advantaged share schemes. work.

For Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI)

For Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) options granted before 6 April 2024 you must tell us within 92 days of the date of grant.grant.

If the options are granted after 6 April 2024, you must tell us by 6 July following the end of the tax year in which the grant is made.

Non tax-advantaged schemes

You only need to register schemes without a tax advantage when there’s a reportable event, for example acquiring or disposing of securities, or assigning or releasing securities options.

You should register your non tax-advantaged scheme by 6 July following the tax year when the first reportable event happened. 

Find out morehow aboutemployment related securities work if you’re an employer, including how non tax-advantaged share schemes. work.

Before you register 

Before you can register your ERS scheme, you must first register as an employer.

If you need to register as an employer, it can take up to 30 working days to get your PAYE reference number.

Once you have an employer PAYE reference number, you must enrol for and activate the PAYE online service for employers.

Add the PAYE service to HMRC Online Services 

You’ll need your PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference. These are included in the letter from HMRC confirming your registration.

1. Sign in to HMRC Online Services for employers or create an account.

2. Select ‘Add a tax, duty or scheme now’. 

3. Select ‘Employers or intermediaries, for example PAYE for employers or CIS’. 

4. Select ‘PAYE for employers’. 

5. Complete the information required on screen.

Register your ERS scheme

Once you’ve added the PAYE online service, you can register your ERS scheme with us.

1. Sign in to HMRC Online Services for employers. 

2. Go to the section ‘Employment related securities (ERS)’.(ERS)’.

3. Select ‘Register or view your schemes and arrangements’.

4. Select the ERS scheme type you want to register and select ‘Next’. 

5. Fill in the self certification declaration. 

6. Sign in again to complete your registration.

HMRC will issue an ERS Scheme reference number online within 7 days of registering your ERS scheme. You will be able to find this on your HMRC Online Services by viewing the ‘Employment Relatedrelated Securities’securities (ERS)’ section and selecting ‘View schemes and arrangements’.

After you’ve registered 

You must either:

• submit your ERS return
• submit a nil return — if you have nothing to report

How to authoriseget an agent authorised to submit submit ERS returns

If you haveask asked an agent to manage your ERS scheme,returns, you’llthey needmust tocomplete authorisethe themOnline ifAgent youAuthorisation wantprocess. themFind toout submithow an ERS returnto onuse yourthe behalf.Online ToAgent doAuthorisation this, you can either:

• ask the agent to completeget theauthorised authorisation
• authoriseas ana agent through your business tax account

agent.

Agents will only be able to view and file returns on employment related securities (ERS) schemes that are already registered. They will not be able to register or end a scheme.

Read more about how to authorise an agent through your business tax account.