Employee owned businesses are totally or significantly owned by their employees and currently deliver 4% of UK GDP annually. Research shows that employee owned businesses achieve higher productivity and greater levels of innovation and are more resilient to economic turbulence. They also have more engaged, fulfilled and less stressed workforces.
Employee ownership can take one of three forms:
- Direct employee ownership – using one of more tax advantaged share plans, employees become registered individual shareholders of a majority of the shares in their company.
- Indirect employee ownership – shares are held collectively on behalf of employees, normally through an employee trust. The government introduced the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) in 2014 to offer tax breaks as an incentive for companies who adopt the structure.
- Combined direct and indirect ownership – a combination of the above.
Becoming an EOT can be a tax-effective way to resolve succession issues. It can also be used as an incentive to attract new staff and retain others by giving them a stake in the business as a great differentiator from competitors. An EOT is also a very useful disposal option for business owners.
KJG has a number of strong relationships with funders and legal advisors so we can make sure that a move to an employee ownership can happen as quickly and smoothly as possible.
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