As an employee of an eligible UK company in Aberdeen Group plc, you have the opportunity to own a part of Aberdeen Group plc.
If you are looking for information about the Aberdeen Group plc Partnership and Matching Shares Plan (Ireland), please read the Participant Guide.
Watch the short video to the right for useful information on how the plan works.
Choose to contribute between £10 and £150 per month, but the amount you invest cannot exceed £10% of your monthly pre-tax salary.
Your chosen amount will be deducted each month directly from your gross pay, so you won’t pay income tax or NICs on the money you invest.
Your contribution is transferred to EQ, who will purchase the shares in Aberdeen Group plc (Partnership Shares). Matching shares are also allocated to you.
All shares bought or awarded to you under the Plan are held for you in Trust by the Trustee (ESPTL).
Partnership and Matching shares are awarded to you on the 10th of each month (or the next working day). You can change, stop, suspend or restart your contributions at any time. You can view the shares in the Plan through the Aberdeen Share Plans Portal.
Once you’ve applied to join the Plan, your contribution will be deducted from your pre-tax salary each month.
Here is an example of how it could work for a £50 contribution if you were to buy shares.
| Tax rate | Gross contribution | Tax relief | NICs saving | Net contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic rate taxpayer | £50 | £10.00 (20%) | £4.00 (8%) | £36.00 |
| Higher rate taxpayer | £50 | £21.00 (42%) | £1.00 (2%) | £28.00 |
Please note, the tax rates provided in the example above are for illustration purposes only. Your tax position and the possible tax relief will be personal to you depending on your employment location and other possible factors.
Over the years, you can build up a holding of Aberdeen Group plc shares. The example below is based on a monthly contribution of £50 from your pre-tax salary, assuming a flat share price of £2 per share and excluding any additional Dividend Shares awarded:
| Year | Annual Partnership Share Investment (£50 x 12) |
Number of Partnership Shares purchased | Matching Shares awarded | Total plan shareholding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £600 | 300 | 300 | 600 |
| Year 2 | £600 | 300 | 300 | 1,200 |
| Year 3 | £600 | 300 | 300 | 1,600 |
| Year 4 | £600 | 300 | 300 | 2,400 |
| Year 5 | £600 | 300 | 300 | 3,000 |
You can apply online to join the Partnership and Matching Shares Plan through the Aberdeen Share Plans Portal. Once you have logged in to the Portal, you will see the option to apply for the Plan on the homepage. Please see below for further details on accessing the Portal.
If you have recently joined Aberdeen, you will only be able to apply once you’ve received your invitation email from EQ.
If you are an Aberdeen employee and have previously registered for the Portal, you can access the Portal by clicking here.
If you are not on the company network, you can access the Portal by clicking on the Sign in button at the top of this page.
If you have not yet registered for the Portal, you will need to do so before you can apply for the Plan. Please click on the Sign in button at the top of this page and complete the registration process.
If you enter a corporate email address, EQ will send an activation code to you by email. If you enter a personal email address, EQ will send an activation code by post to your primary home address (as registered on Workday).
You will need your Shareholder Reference Number which can be found on Workday.
For more information on how to register for and on accessing the Portal, please read the Portal Access Guide.
The information given below is a summary of the UK tax implications that apply if you are, and have been at all material times, resident, ordinary resident and domiciled in the United Kingdom. This tax summary describes the position as at April 2026 and the position may change. This summary is for guidance only and you are advised to take professional advice on your personal tax position. There are specific tax considerations if you leave for one of the reasons listed under note 2. Please refer to the FAQs for further information on the impact of leaving for one of these reasons on your tax position and position under the Plan.
| Steps | Partnership Shares | Matching Shares | Dividend Shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| When shares are bought/awarded. | You do not have to pay income tax or NICs on the salary used to buy Partnership Shares. | No income tax or NICs. | No income tax or NICs. |
| Removal of shares from the Plan within three years of buying/award. | Income tax and NICs on the market value of shares on removal. | Matching shares cannot normally be removed whilst in employment. On leaving (see Note 1), they are forfeited, except if you leave for one of the leaver reasons listed in Note 2 beneath this table. Then, you keep the Matching Shares and they can be removed without paying any income tax or NICs. | Dividend shares cannot normally be removed whilst in employment. If you leave employment other than for one of the reasons set out in Note 2 beneath this table (where they can be removed without paying income tax or NICs), you pay income tax (but not NICs) in that year as though you received a dividend equal to the amount originally used to buy those Dividend Shares. Where an income tax charge arises, PAYE does not apply. The tax must be paid through self-assessment (Note 3). |
| Removal of shares from the Plan between three and five years of buying/award. | Income tax and NICs on the lower of the market value of the shares at the time of award or on removal. | Income tax and NICs on the lower of the market value of the shares at the time of award or on removal. | No income tax or NICs are payable – note that Dividend shares can be removed from the Plan free of income tax and NICs at any time after the end of the relevant three-year holding period. Where an income tax charge arises, PAYE does not apply. The tax must be paid through self-assessment (Note 3). |
| Removal of shares from the Plan after five years of buying/award. | No income tax or NICs. | No income tax or NICs. | No income tax or NICs. |
| Capital Gains Tax on removal of shares from the Plan. | No capital gains tax applies when shares are sold immediately after they are taken out of the Plan or sold from the Plan. | No capital gains tax applies when shares are sold immediately after they are taken out of the Plan or sold from the Plan. | No capital gains tax applies when shares are sold immediately after they are taken out of the Plan or sold from the Plan. |
| Capital Gains Tax on sale of shares after removal from the Plan. | Based on the increase in the value since removal from the Plan, and dependent on your personal circumstances (Note 4). | ||
Notes:
For further guidance, please check the Partnership and Matching Shares Plan FAQs.
