Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

8 The scheme must not provide for any person to be eligible to participate in it, that is to say, to obtain and exercise rights under it, or in the case of a profit sharing scheme to have shares appropriated to him, at any time when he has, or has within the preceding 12 months had, a material interest in a close company which is—

(a) a company shares in which, in the case of a profit sharing scheme, are to be appropriated or, in the case of a share option scheme, may be acquired pursuant to the exercise of rights obtained under the scheme; or

(b) a company which has control of such a company or is a member of a consortium which owns such a company.

In determining whether a company is a close company for the purposes of this paragraph, sections 414(1)(a) and 415 shall be disregarded.