Changes to the capital gains inclusion rate and the employee stock option deduction rate (as proposed in Budget 2024) will apply to stock options exercised and shares sold on or after 25 June 2024. The new measure reduces the stock option deduction and capital gains tax exemption from 1/2 of the taxable amount to 1/3 of the taxable amount, if an individual’s annual combined limit of CAD 250,000 has been exceeded. The individual taxpayer can choose how to allocate the preferential tax treatment between the stock option income and capital gains to the extent the combined limit has been exceeded.

California’s regulators have made employment noncompetes (and knowing which employees are bound by them and how) a key compliance item.
Effective 1 January 2024, AB 1076 amends Section 16600 of the state’s Business and Professions Code to “void the application of any noncompete agreement in an employment context, or any noncompete clause in an employment contract, no matter how narrowly tailored.” In addition, the law requires employers to notify certain current and former California employees that any agreement containing a noncompete provision is void.

Last fall California doubled-down on the state’s hostility to noncompete agreements. Assembly Bill 1076 codified the landmark 2008 Edward v. Arthur Andersen decision that invalidated all employment noncompetes, including narrowly tailored ones, unless they satisfy a statutory exception. AB 1076 also added new Business & Professions Code §16600.1, requiring California employers to notify current (and certain former) employees that any noncompete agreement or clause to which they may be subject is void (unless it falls within one of the limited statutory exceptions).

The NYSE and Nasdaq have given listed companies more time to adopt their Clawback policy, with the new proposed effective date of their rules being 2 October 2023 with a requirement to adopt the policy by 1 December (subject to SEC approval).

On 3 March 2023, the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice published details of a three-year Pilot Program Regarding Compensation Incentives and Clawbacks. The Compensation Pilot Program is effective 15 March 2023 and from that date it will be applicable to all corporate criminal matters handled by the DOJ Criminal Division. At the same time, DOJ also updated its Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs guidance document to reflect the criteria introduced by the Compensation Pilot Program, among other updates.

On 26 October 2022, the SEC adopted final incentive compensation clawback rules requiring US-listed issuers to: (i) develop and implement a policy for the recovery of incentive-based compensation that is erroneously “received” by current and former executive officers during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date that the issuer is required to prepare an accounting restatement, and (ii) file that policy as an annual report exhibit and satisfy related disclosure obligations in accordance with SEC rules.

On 25 August 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission released a final rule in the form of new Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K that seeks to shine an ever-brighter spotlight on the link between executive pay and company performance at certain US public companies.

In this latest update of the Global Equity Matrix, we summarize the key issues for share-based awards and cash awards and cover tax and securities, exchange control, labor law and data privacy considerations for such awards in 50 countries.

Our matrix summarizes the key issues for employee share and cash awards and covers tax, securities, exchange control, labor law and data privacy considerations for such awards in 50 countries.

On 24 November 2020, the SEC proposed amendments to the Form S-8 registration statement relied on by Exchange Act1 reporting companies and the Rule 701 exemption from registration2 available to non-reporting companies for equity awards and other compensatory securities offered to employees, directors, consultants and advisors. The proposed changes are intended to modernize and simplify the securities offering requirements for such compensatory offerings, while maintaining investor protection.

In a companion release issued on the same date, the SEC issued proposed temporary rules that would expand the availability of Rule 701 and Form S-8 for securities offerings to so-called “gig” workers, in recognition of a changing modern workforce.

The SEC is seeking comments on both sets of proposed rules, on or before February 9, 2021.