Stock Plan guidance FAQs
Important information - investment values can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and tax rules may change. You cannot normally access money in a pension until age 55 (57 from 2028). This is not a personal recommendation for a specific investment. If you're not sure which investments are suitable for you, consult Fidelity's advisers or another authorised financial adviser.
Making the most of your stock plan awards
Don’t pay more tax than you need to
If your investments aren't held in a tax-efficient account (like an ISA) you'll have to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT) when you sell your stocks, funds, investment trust or exchange-traded funds if the profit is over the CGT allowance. Learn more about Capital Gains Tax, how to work out how much you could pay and ways to reduce your liability.
Yes, it's possible to transfer shares. These transfers aren't subject to CGT as long as it's an outright and genuine gift.
Spouses and civil partners are taxed as separate individuals, with each spouse being entitled to his or her own annual exemption. If you are married, or in a civil partnership, and gains are expected to exceed your annual allowance, you can transfer assets into your spouse’s name (if they are a UK resident), and also use up their allowance. This essentially doubles the CGT exemption for married couples and civil partners as it allows each partner to use each other's annual CGT exemption.
If you wish to transfer your shares to your spouse, you’ll need to choose to transfer your shares to a Fidelity International Investment account in your name first.
You can consider taking advantage of tax incentives offered by a Fidelity Stocks and Shares ISA or a Fidelity Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). Learn more about saving tax-efficiently to get your money working as hard as it can. You can also explore our investment options to learn how you can diversify your investments across funds and shares.
If you want to invest in US shares the US government will charge you a tax on any income you earn from those shares if you are not a US resident or citizen. Chances are you'd prefer to pay less of this tax (known as withholding tax) on your shares - this is where a W-8BEN form comes in. Learn more about a W-8BEN form
Need further support?
Get in touch, our friendly teams are on hand to answer your questions big and small. You can even drop into our Investor Centre in London for a face-to-face chat if you prefer.
Our advice service is designed for people looking to invest a minimum of £100,000 (which can include pensions), for more than 5-years. If you're looking for personalised advice our financial advice service can help.
