For UK companies with EMI and other share schemes, and their accountants

Get your share scheme annual return accepted first time

Share Scheme Return checks your option register against HMRC's rules for the end of year return, explains every problem in plain English, and fills in HMRC's own template for you. It all happens in your browser.

Check your file free See pricing

Employee data never leaves your deviceNo account needed to checkNot affiliated with HMRC

EMI return 2025 to 26: 8 rows checked

Where	Found	What to do
Row 2	Non-taxable exercise	Ready
Row 3	2.756789	Rounded to 2.7568
Row 5	NI number QQ222222	Needs 2 letters, 6 numbers, 1 letter
Row 9	Last name "N/A"	HMRC rejects N/A
Row 7	Grant	Not on the annual return

Made up example. Your own rows never leave your browser.

Employee data stays on your deviceNames and NI numbers are checked inside your browser. They are never uploaded or stored.
HMRC's own templateWe fill in the template HMRC publishes on GOV.UK and leave its sheets and questions alone.
Due by 6 JulyEvery registered scheme needs a return or nil return by 6 July after the tax year.
£99 a year per companyChecking is free. Accountants can cover up to 25 companies for £399 a year.

Why it matters

Small format slips get returns rejected, and late returns cost money

HMRC's online service checks the attachment line by line. One N/A, one date in the wrong format or one renamed sheet and the file is rejected.

£100

automatic penalty if a return or nil return is not in by 6 July, even one day late.

Source: GOV.UK, ERS penalties

£700

after six months: further automatic penalties of £300 at three months and £300 at six months. HMRC may then charge £10 a day.

Source: HMRC manual ERSM140080

decimal places for every price and value, rounded HMRC's way. Share numbers take 2.

Source: HMRC EMI guidance notes

What HMRC says gets an attachment rejected

Entering "N/A" or "not applicable" in a cell.
Changing the structure or formatting of the template, or using an out of date version.
Column headings that do not match the technical note exactly, in your own CSV files.
Extra commas inside a CSV cell without quotes around it.

From HMRC's guidance notes and technical note. See the full list.

What Share Scheme Return does about it

It reads the export you already have, sorts each event onto the right HMRC sheet, fixes what can safely be fixed (date formats, rounding, capitals in NI numbers, the CRN letters on valuation references) and lists everything else with the reason.

It cannot decide tax questions for you, such as whether an exercise is taxable. It makes sure the answers you give are in a form HMRC accepts.

How it works

From option register to HMRC file in three steps

You stay in charge of the return. Share Scheme Return does the fiddly formatting.

Step 1
Load your option register
Export a CSV from your cap table tool or spreadsheet, or use our plain template. You can also load a return you filled in yourself to have it checked.
Step 2
See every problem, free
Each row is checked against HMRC's rules for its sheet: dates, NI numbers, PAYE references, yes or no answers, 4 decimal places, follow-on questions and N/A cells.
Step 3
Build HMRC's file
With a licence, we fill in HMRC's own template, unchanged apart from your rows, ready to upload in the ERS online service. CSV files are available too.

Pricing

Checking is free. Pay only to build the files.

Prices include VAT where it applies. Full refund if you ask within 14 days.

Company

£99a year

Every scheme your company runs, as many builds as you need for 12 months.

Practice

£399a year

For accountants and company secretaries: up to 25 client companies.

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Questions

Does my employees' data get uploaded?

No. Names, NI numbers and share details are read and checked inside your browser tab. They are never sent to us or to anyone else, and never saved in your browser. The only thing the page sends to our server is your licence key, when you build files.

Which schemes does it cover?

EMI first, plus CSOP, SAYE, SIP and other (non tax advantaged) arrangements, using HMRC's current end of year templates.

Does it file the return for me?

No. It builds the file. You, or your agent, upload it in HMRC's ERS online service and submit the return.

Can it tell me whether an exercise is taxable?

No. That is a tax question about your scheme. The tool checks that every answer is in the format HMRC accepts and is consistent, for example that a disqualifying event has its number from 1 to 8.

What if we had no activity this year?

You still need to submit a nil return in the ERS online service by 6 July. There is no file to build for a nil return, so you do not need a licence for it.

Is it affiliated with HMRC?

No. It is independent software from CHENFLOW LIMITED that uses HMRC's published templates and technical notes.

See what your return needs, free

Load your option register or finished return and get a list of every problem, with the reason and the fix. No account, and employee data never leaves your device.