Last Updated on September 26, 2023 by BFSLTeam BFSLTeam
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) serve as a method for private companies to incentivize and reward their employees or management during periods of financial success. This stock appreciation rights scheme is often referred to as a “plan”, if one wants to explain the stock appreciation rights meaning. SARs bear similarities to employee stock options in that employees benefit from an increase in the company’s stock price. However, SARs differ by not requiring employees to pay an exercise price; instead, they receive the increased value in the form of cash or stock.
In essence, SARs provide employees with the monetary equivalent of a stock’s price gains over a specified period. Employers frequently offer SARs in conjunction with stock options, which are then known as tandem stock appreciation rights.
It’s important to note that SARs are both transferable and subject to clawback provisions. These provisions allow the company to reclaim some or all of the income granted to employees under the plan in certain circumstances, such as if an employee is planning to join a competing firm. SARs are typically granted to employees based on a vesting schedule linked to the company’s performance goals.
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Table of Content
Advantages of Stock Appreciation Rights
Let’s explore the merits of SARs –
1. Clear and Understandable:
SARs offer a straightforward and easily comprehensible way for employees to participate in the company’s stock gains.
2. No Initial Investment Required:
With SARs, there’s no need for employees to invest cash upfront to acquire company equity.
3. Alignment with Company Objectives:
SARs effectively align employees’ interests with the company’s goals by granting them a stake in the company’s stock value.
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Disadvantages of Stock Appreciation Rights in India
In addition to their advantages, SARs come with certain drawbacks that merit consideration. Here are the particulars:
1. Dilution of Ownership:
SARs can lead to a dilution of ownership for existing shareholders as they increase the total number of outstanding shares.
2. Limited Potential Upside:
SARs impose a cap on employees’ potential gains since they only participate in the appreciation of the company’s stock value, rather than actual ownership of the stock.
How do Stock Appreciation Rights Operate
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) operate in a manner akin to Stock Options, featuring a structured grant price, a vesting period, and a predetermined expiration date. Upon vesting, an employee gains the ability to exercise SARs at their discretion before the expiration date. The resultant benefits are disbursed in one of three forms: cash, shares, or a combination thereof, contingent on the specific provisions within the employee’s plan. In instances where shares are the chosen form of payout, they can be managed like any other shares within a standard brokerage account.
Types of Stock Appreciation Rights
There exist two distinct categories of Stock Appreciation Rights:
1. Stand-alone SARs are autonomous instruments, devoid of any association with stock options. They are granted independently.
2. Tandem SARs, on the other hand, are granted concurrently with either a Non-Qualified Stock Option or an Incentive Stock Option. This unique setup affords the holder the flexibility to exercise it either as an option or as a SAR. Importantly, the selection of one mode of exercise precludes the ability to use the other, ensuring that the two approaches remain mutually exclusive.
Taxation of SARs
SARs are taxed similarly to non-qualified stock options (NSOs), with no immediate tax consequences at the grant or vesting stages. However, participants should be aware of ordinary income tax implications when they exercise SARs. Employers often provide a certain number of shares and withhold the rest to cover taxes. The income recognized upon exercise becomes the cost basis when shares are eventually sold.
Comparison with Phantom Stock
SARs closely resemble phantom stock, but the key difference lies in how they account for stock splits and dividends. Phantom stock represents either the value of a company’s shares or the increase in stock price over a specific period. Phantom stock bonuses are taxed as ordinary income and may include dividends, while SARs do not.
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Conclusion
When it comes to SARs, holders can typically retain vested SARs upon retirement, but it’s advisable to confirm this with the employer. Special rules apply if an employee leaves the company, and clarity should be sought from the employer in such cases. In the unfortunate event of an employee’s passing, vested SARs can be transferred to a designated beneficiary.
To explore different exercise scenarios and estimate potential taxes related to SARs, a tool known as the Stock Appreciation Rights summary screen can be utilised. This tool assists employees in making informed decisions regarding their share appreciation rights.
