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Consideration shares meaning

What does Consideration shares mean?
consideration shares are shares in the buyer issued to the seller as part of the purchase price for acquiring the target company or business. The expression is a descriptive term used in UK and Irish M&A to denote non-cash share consideration; usage is consistent across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. They are typically acceptable to the buyer only where there is a ready market in the buyer’s shares (for example, where the buyer is listed on the London Stock Exchange, AIM or Euronext Dublin), so the seller can realise value over time. Parties commonly agree lock-up restrictions preventing sales for a period post-completion and orderly marketing provisions regulating the manner and timing of any subsequent disposals to avoid market disruption. Where the buyer is a public company, issuing shares for non-cash consideration can trigger Companies Act requirements, including an independent valuation of the non-cash consideration (subject to statutory exemptions), and the need for shareholder authorities to allot shares and, where relevant, to disapply pre-emption rights. These requirements, and any listing, admission or prospectus processes, can add cost and affect deal timetables.
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View the related Checklists about Consideration shares

CHECKLISTS
Buyer’s checklist for drafting share purchase agreements: acquisition of entire issued share capital with conditional completion (England and Wales)

This checklist functions as a reference, highlighting considerations for buyer’s solicitors when drafting a share purchase agreement (also referred to as an SPA or share sale agreement) that records the sale and purchase of the entire issued share capital of a private limited company, where the transaction features split exchange as well as completion...

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CHECKLISTS
Seller-side SPA drafting checklist for unconditional (simultaneous exchange and completion) sale of a private company's entire issued share capital: parties, consideration, completion, warranties, indemnities, tax covenant, limitations

This Checklist This Checklist provides a reference to selected critical points for the seller’s lawyers to assess when preparing or reviewing a share purchase agreement (SPA, or share sale agreement) documenting the transfer of all issued share capital in a private limited company, in circumstances where the deal features exchange and completion happening concurrently within a single, combined timetable...

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CHECKLISTS
Intra-group asset transfers by sale: checklist of steps, consents, consideration, directors’ duties, TUPE, redundancies and post-completion actions (England and Wales)

Issue Guidance This Checklist sets out a concise overview of the principal actions for moving assets within a group from one English-incorporated company to another, and flags particular matters that may affect the company during the process. It is not comprehensive, as the considerations and sequence of steps for an asset-based reorganisation will differ between transactions. For an outline of the main points where a reorganisation is carried out by selling shares, see: Intra-group reorganisation (by share sale)─checklist... Determining the intra-group reorganisation structure and other preliminary considerations (general) Early planning should address whether the reorganisation proceeds by way of an asset transfer or a share deal. For guidance on preparatory work and choosing between an asset or share route, refer to: Intra-group reorganisation—common issues—flowchart and Practice Notes: Common issues in an intra-group reorganisation, Asset sales and tax—overview... Specialist input Corporate reorganisation planning may necessitate targeted advice across relevant disciplines. Please consider seeking further guidance in the following areas: Property Employment ...

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View the related News about Consideration shares

NEWS
UK corporate law weekly: HMRC capital-raising stamp duty/SDRT exemption; Companies House fees amendments; TPT transition plan resources; Procter v Procter; FCA research payment options (11 April 2024)

In this issue: Tax Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Environmental, social and governance Partnerships Financial services regulation Daily and weekly news alerts Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Tax HMRC confirms availability of capital-raising exemption from 1.5% stamp duty and SDRT charge. HMRC has updated its Stamp Taxes on Shares Manual (STSM053100) to state that the relief from the 1.5% stamp duty and SDRT for capital-raising covers share issues made for non-cash consideration, with no consideration, or where consideration is paid directly to a different party. See: LNB News 10/04/2024 25. Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Registrar of Companies and Register of Overseas Entities (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/454. These Regulations revise the dates on which transitional provisions for changes to Registrar of Companies’ fees apply, correct typographical errors, and remove obsolete references to regulations within the Register of Overseas Entities (Delivery, Protection and Trust Services) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/870. They...

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NEWS
UK Supreme Court: declaratory judgments do not merge; merger applies only to coercive judgments for money or property (Nasir v Zavarco plc [2025] UKSC 5)

Nasir v Zavarco Plc [2025] UKSC 5 Background The respondent, Zavarco, allotted a substantial block of shares to the appellant, Nasir. A quarrel followed over whether Nasir had to pay cash or could satisfy the price by transferring shares in a different company. Zavarco issued proceedings (the ‘2016 Claim’). The judge found for Zavarco, declaring that Nasir’s shares were unpaid and that, under Zavarco’s articles of association, the company could forfeit them. Zavarco then exercised that power and forfeited the shares. Under the articles, Nasir remained bound to pay for the shares, so Zavarco commenced a second action (the ‘2018 Claim’) to recover the consideration. That claim was dismissed: the chief master held that Zavarco’s cause of action in the second suit had merged into the judge’s earlier declarations and was thereby extinguished. In the chief master’s view, the prior judgment absorbed the claim, leaving nothing further to sue upon, and so the monetary demand could not proceed. Zavarco appealed. The appeal judge allowed it, concluding that while, in...

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NEWS
Weekly property disputes update—England & Wales and Scotland: forfeiture, undue influence, BSA 2022 leaseholder protections, service charges and insurance commissions, Scottish servitudes (25 July 2024)

In this issue: Forfeiture Contractual issues Repairing obligations and dilapidations Service charges Key developments and horizon scanning Property disputes in Scotland LexTalk®Property Disputes: a Lexis®Nexis community Additional Property disputes updates Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers Latest Q&As Forfeiture Valuing a claim for wrongful forfeiture (Tanfield (as executor of the Estate of Paul Watkins) v Meadowbrook Montessori Ltd) In Tanfield (as executor of the Estate of Paul Watkins) v Meadowbrook Montessori Ltd [2024] EWHC 1759 (Ch), [2024] All ER (D) 77 (Jul), the court threw out a landlord’s winding-up petition for £167,593.41 presented against a company established to operate a school. It held there was a firmly arguable position that the majority of the petitioned sum was not rent arrears, but consideration payable for shares in the company. The judge further acknowledged a cross-claim with a genuine prospect of success, quantified at no less than £546,000 in...

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View the related Practice Notes about Consideration shares

PRACTICE NOTES
Unwinding UK share sales: tax implications of sell-backs and terminating conditional share purchase agreements, including corporation tax, stamp duty/SDRT, VAT on termination payments, and forthcoming STC reforms

FORTHCOMING CHANGE relating to the modernisation of stamp taxes on shares framework: In 2027, stamp duty and SDRT are set to be superseded by a single, self‑assessed tax on securities — the securities transfer charge (STC) — to be paid and reported via a new online portal. The STC’s core features are expected to broadly reflect the proposals consulted on in 2023. Finance Act 2026 (FA 2026) confers a power for secondary legislation to let taxpayers trial the digital service, self‑assessing their stamp taxes on securities liabilities and submitting transactions electronically. For further details on the modernisation of stamp taxes on securities, see: News Analyses: Budget 2025—Tax analysis—Stamp and transfer taxes Tax update spring 2025—Stamp taxes on shares modernisation Tax update spring 2025—Tax analysis—Stamp and transfer taxes TAMD 2023—Stamp taxes on shares modernisation TAMD 2023—consultation—stamp taxes on shares Tax Administration and Maintenance Day—27 April 2023—Stamp and transfer taxes The government also consulted on modernising and clarifying...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK tax treatment of earn-outs on share disposals: deferred consideration, Marren v Ingles, reorganisations, QCB vs non-QCB, BADR, SSE, anti-avoidance and HMRC clearance

The way consideration payable for buying shares is arranged is rarely simple or linear, and can vary considerably. In many situations payment is postponed, deferred, or made conditional on a particular contingency being satisfied. Selling shareholders will look to maximise the overall price for their shares while also seeking to limit, so far as possible, any tax on disposal by: making full and efficient use of available reliefs to cut or remove any charge, and/or delaying the point in time at which any such tax becomes due However, where the consideration is deferred, the seller can become liable to tax immediately on an amount not yet received (a ‘dry’ tax charge). In calculating chargeable gains, no discount is usually allowed in respect of any consideration that is ascertainable at the date of disposal, even where it is: deferred subject to a contingency, or at risk of not being received for any reason Where any deferred...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK purchaser acquiring an overseas business: tax considerations on acquisition, profit repatriation, structuring, exit, anti-avoidance and compliance

A UK-based purchaser of an overseas business should evaluate the following tax considerations: the prospective overseas and UK tax outlays linked to the acquisition tax-efficient ways to repatriate profits from the overseas entity to the UK buyer a tax-efficient exit strategy maximising the tax-efficiency of the target business This Practice Note is written from a UK tax perspective and also flags typical overseas tax points to address, including reporting, filing and compliance obligations. Local advice should be obtained in each jurisdiction in which the target operates. Overseas and UK tax costs associated with the acquisition of an overseas business The common UK and overseas tax costs relevant to acquiring an overseas business are summarised below. Transfer taxes Share acquisitions may attract local transfer or registration taxes, usually calculated as a percentage of the consideration for those shares, together with notary fees...

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View the related Precedents about Consideration shares

PRECEDENTS
Employee Shareholder Shares: s 205A ERA 1996 Written Statement Template (Great Britain) – Archived; ESS tax reliefs removed from 1 December 2016

Archived: The ability to offer tax-favoured employee shareholder shares or ESS (commonly used in private equity company arrangements) has now been removed In the Autumn Statement 2016, the government confirmed that certain ESS-related tax reliefs would be withdrawn. The changes remove: The income tax and NICs relief applying to the first £2,000 of employee shareholder shares an individual receives The capital gains tax exemption in respect of all, or a portion, of ESS shares The provision ensuring that, when a company purchases employee shareholder shares from an employee shareholder, the consideration is not treated as a distribution in the shareholder’s hands The withdrawal of these reliefs applies to any employer shareholder agreements entered into on or after 1 December 2016. However, an individual who had obtained independent advice about entering an employer shareholder agreement before 23 November 2016 could still complete the agreement before 1 December 2016 and retain the beneficial income and CGT tax advantages...

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PRECEDENTS
Precedent deed: shareholder irrevocable undertaking to support Part 26 scheme of arrangement (UK Takeover Code; England and Wales law)

The Directors [ insert offeror's name ] ([ Offeror ]) [ insert address ] [ and ] [ The Directors ] [ [ insert name of financial adviser ] (the Adviser ) [ insert address ] ] [ insert date ] Dear Directors Proposed acquisition of [ name of offeree ] ([ Offeree ]) It is our understanding that [ Offeror ] intends to acquire (the Acquisition ) [ all ] the issued [ and to be issued ] [ ordinary ] shares of [ insert nominal value ] each in [ Offeree ] (the Shares ) for the consideration, and otherwise substantially on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the draft press announcement enclosed with this letter (the Announcement ), subject to such modifications or additions to such terms and conditions as may be required by the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the Code ), the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the Panel ), the High Court of Justice in England and...

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PRECEDENTS
Precedent buyer board minutes for exchange on private share purchase: approve SPA and ancillary documents, authority to sign, optional consideration shares/loan notes and listed-company circular (UK)

Board minutes—private M&A—share purchase—exchange—buyer Company no: [insert company number]. [insert company name] [Limited OR plc]. Board meeting at [insert place] on [insert date] at [insert time]. [insert name] chaired, confirmed due notice and quorum. Business: to consider and, if appropriate, approve documents and matters for the Company’s proposed purchase of the entire issued share capital of [insert target name] Limited from [insert seller name] [Limited OR PLC], subject to conditions, including any required shareholders’ approval. Directors declared interests per CA 2006 and the Articles; quorum and voting confirmed. Key documents tabled included the draft sale and purchase agreement, any loan note instrument, disclosure letter, stock transfer form(s), voting power of attorney, circular and proxy (if relevant), verification notes and responsibility documents, consents, irrevocable undertakings, announcement and ancillary papers. The board noted conditions precedent and long‑stop; consideration (cash, loan notes and/or consideration shares); warranties/indemnities with time limits, caps and thresholds, subject to disclosures; post‑completion non‑compete/non‑solicit; and key loan note terms (interest, redemption, guarantee/security, convertibility). RESOLVED...

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