How can we help?
To access legal support from just £149 per hour arrange your no-obligation initial consultation to discuss your business requirements.
Business Legal Services
Non Tax-Advantaged Share Schemes
Share schemes for start-ups not eligible for EMI
Non tax-advantaged share schemes (NTA) let employees purchase shares at a future date and pre agreed price, enabling them to share in your company’s growth without immediate dilution of existing ownership. These plans work well for staff such as overseas employees or consultants.
Because these plans don’t require HMRC approval, they’re a practical option if you or your employees don’t qualify for tax advantaged schemes like EMI or CSOP. They can also be combined with tax-advantaged plans to create a tailored incentive strategy.
Our experienced team will guide you through designing and implementing a non tax-advantaged share scheme that motivates your team and supports your business objectives.
How we support you
Building share arrangements without tax advantages
An NTA scheme, like any discretionary option plan, involves granting a specific number of options to an individual. These options give the individual the right to acquire a set number of underlying shares at a fixed price on an agreed date or upon reaching a certain point in time. Since there is no upfront cost to acquiring the options and no payment is required unless the underlying shares increase sufficiently in value, the individual faces little risk in receiving these options. Consequently, the tax treatment and rates often resemble those applicable to cash bonuses.
We help you determine if this route suits your business, assisting with structuring, setup, and ongoing administration to maximise potential tax benefits.
Our team can assist with:
Choosing the right share type including share classes, dilution, and shareholder rights like voting and dividends
Share options and RSUs, explaining how share options and restricted stock units can be used without formal company valuation, and supporting you through implementation
Managing shareholder interests helping communicate the scheme to shareholders and protect existing ownership
Ongoing compliance ensuring documentation is legally sound and administratively efficient
We also advise on directors’ remuneration and corporate governance, and can guide you through the tax, employment, company law, prospectus directive, financial services, and data protection implications of offering shares or options, ensuring all necessary documentation is drafted and helping you understand the potential impact on founders and investors.
Who we help
Founders and senior leaders in ambitious businesses
We work with high-growth UK-based companies that recognise attracting and retaining top talent is vital as they scale. Balancing the needs of founders, investors, and employees, while managing cashflow and protecting working capital, is a key challenge when designing share incentive arrangements.
Our team helps you navigate these competing demands by designing non-tax advantaged share options that align with your business stage and financial priorities, enabling you to reward and motivate your team without compromising growth or shareholder interests.
Finding the right legal partner
Why work with Harper James
Choose a legal partner you can trust: we’ll help protect your goals, your business and your people so you can move forward with confidence and focus on growing your business.
Affordable, transparent and predictable pricing
Clear itemised invoices, subscription plans with up to 50% discount, and fixed fee products help you plan and manage legal spend – with no nasty surprises.
Proven track record and measurable results
We’ve supported over 6,500 businesses since 2014, with an ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot and a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 60+ from monthly client surveys.
Straight-talking, responsive advice
We’re here to make things easier, not add complexity. That means fast response times, practical expert legal advice delivered in plain English, and dedicated client service and account management support.
Risk and compliance assured
We’re an SRA regulated firm, but more importantly, we build quality, data, and compliance best practice into everything we do.
Appointing a legal partner is a big decision. That’s why we’re open about our values, culture and model, so you can see what makes us tick. And because a productive partnership starts with understanding, we always begin with a conversation – listening to your goals, pressures and plans, then tailoring our support to fit.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Our clients have confidence in our services. Hear about their positive experiences with us.
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles
CEO,
Ascension Ventures
Harper James provide a cost effective, responsive and versatile service and provide us with access to legal teams that are experienced, commercially focused and well-resourced. Most importantly they are extremely familiar with the SME market and know the venture capital sector well.
Roger Woods
Owner and Director,
MidVen
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles
CEO,
Ascension Ventures
Harper James provide a cost effective, responsive and versatile service and provide us with access to legal teams that are experienced, commercially focused and well-resourced. Most importantly they are extremely familiar with the SME market and know the venture capital sector well.
Roger Woods
Owner and Director,
MidVen
Meet our team
Why choose our share schemes team?
Many of us have worked at some of the UK’s most respected law firms, as well as served as in-house legal counsel or senior leaders within businesses. This diverse experience enables us to provide practical, tailored legal advice that meets your specific needs.
In addition to supporting your share plans, you can rely on our experienced team of solicitors for a broad range of business legal services, including corporate governance advice, immigration law and employment policies.
Find out more about who you’ll be working with:
Pricing and service plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent service plans are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
Engage
Flexible access to senior solicitors at highly competitive rates
An alternative to our subscription plans, offering access to full service legal expertise on a project-by-project basis.
Enable
Purpose built legal support for start-ups and smaller businesses
Monthly subscription plan for £219 per month, with £149 monthly credit and access to all legal services at 50% discount on our Standard Rates.
Extend
Comprehensive legal partnership for established businesses
Fully account managed and scalable annual subscription plan with support from a curated team of partners and senior solicitors, with up to 36% discount on our Standard Rates.