Where an employer meets the tax payable on a non-cash incentive
award given to a direct employee by entering into a PAYE settlement
agreement (PSA), the award is not chargeable to tax on the
employee. PSAs cannot be used to pay the tax on cash incentive
awards. PSAs are covered at
EIM11270.
Apart from non-cash awards covered by a PSA, all incentive
awards made to employees are chargeable on them as employment
income.
In the case of cash awards the amount chargeable as earnings is the amount of the award.
In the case of non-cash awards the amount chargeable depends upon the nature of the award: