Section 474: No charge in respect of receipt of shorter-term option
1965.This section derives from section 135(2) of ICTA which gives an exemption in respect of receipt of options which expire within ten years provided that any gain on exercise of the option would be chargeable. The proviso is not expressly stated in this section. It follows from the fact the reference to “share option” imports the conditions in sections 471 and 473 and therefore limits the scope of the exemption to options within the Chapter and potentially chargeable on exercise.
1966.Subsection (2) also highlights the point, referred to rather obliquely by the opening words of section 135(2) of ICTA, that charges can arise on grant under an approved CSOP scheme in certain circumstances. Other than this instance, it follows that a charge in respect of the receipt can only arise where:
the award is of a longer-term option; or
the circumstances are such that a charge could not arise on exercise. Examples of this would be that the employment (considered at the time of grant) is not within sections 15 or 21, or the holder of the option is an office-holder who is not a director or employee.
