New SAYE bonus rates

HMRC’s Employment Related Securities Bulletin 53 sets out the following new save as you earn scheme bonus rates which apply for contracts entered into on and after 18 August 2023:

• 3-year contracts bonus rate: 1.1 x monthly contribution;
• 5-year contracts bonus rate: 3.2 x monthly contribution; and
• early leaver rate: 1.42%.

In future, the bonus rates will change on the 15th day following a change in the Bank of England base rate and will be recorded in HMRC’s guidance Change in bonus rates for Save As You Earn (SAYE) Share Option Schemes.

It is worth noting that these are the first SAYE bonus rates since 2014, following the period of very low interest rates when the bonus rate was zero.