Register your EMI scheme and add Simply Equity as tax agent

We’ll do what we can to leave you with only what you have to do on the EMI options. Registering your EMI option scheme with HMRC Online Services and adding Simply Equity as your tax agent are things that you have to do. We can then make the EMI notification and the EMI annual returns for the EMI options on your behalf. The same procedure is required for us to file annual returns for non-qualifying options for you.

We’ve set out the steps below, but we can take you through them by videocall as well.

What you’ll need

To register your EMI option scheme, you need an employer PAYE reference number. You can get this from HMRC PAYE Online Service for employers, which you can access with your Government Gateway User ID and password – see HERE.

If you need to register as an employer, it can take up to 15 working days to get your PAYE reference number.

Add the ERS service to HMRC Online Services

You need to add employment related securities (ERS) service to HMRC Online Services before you can register your EMI option scheme.

1. Sign in to HMRC Online Services for employers.
2. Select ‘Add a tax, duty or scheme now’.
3. Select ‘Employers or intermediaries, for example PAYE for employers or CIS’.
4. Select ‘Employment related securities (ERS)’.

Register your EMI option scheme with HMRC

Once the ERS service has been added to HMRC Online Services, you can register your EMI option scheme.

1. Sign in to HMRC Online Services for employers.
2. Select ‘ERS Online Service’.
3. Select ‘Register a scheme or arrangement’.
4. Select the scheme type you want to register and click ‘Next’.
5. Fill in the self-certification declaration.
6. Re-enter your sign in details to complete the registration.

HMRC will allocate a scheme reference number within 7 days of registering your EMI option scheme. You can find your reference number on HMRC Online Services by selecting ‘View schemes and arrangements’.

Please note that this registration process is different from the EMI notification and the EMI annual returns that we will do. See “What are the key timings for EMI option schemes?“.

Add Simply Equity as your tax agent

You can then add Simply Equity as your tax agent.

1. We will give you our Agent Government Gateway Identifier.
2. Sign in to HMRC Online Services for employers.
3. Select ‘Manage account’.
4. Under the ‘Tax agents’ category select ‘Add, view or change tax agents’.
5. Select Employment Related Securities as the tax you want to add a tax agent to.
6. On the ‘Manage who can access your taxes and schemes’ page, select ‘Add an agent’ for Employment Related Securities.
7. On the ‘Add an agent to this tax or scheme?’ page, enter our agent ID.
8. After entering the agent ID you will be asked to confirm that our details are correct — if they are select ‘Add agent’.

Once we are appointed as your tax agent, we can do your EMI notification and EMI annual returns for your EMI option scheme, and annual returns for non-qualifying options. See “What is an EMI annual return?“

Please Note: This article contains general information only and Simply Equity is not, through this article, issuing any advice, be it legal, financial, tax-related, business-related, professional or other. This article is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be used as such. Simply Equity does not assume any liability for reliance on the information provided in this article.