http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/8/section/116Finance Act 1996An Act to grant certain duties, to alter other duties, and to amend the law relating to the National Debt and the Public Revenue, and to make further provision in connection with Finance.1996-04-29texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-04-15Expert Participation2026-03-18 Part IV Income Tax, Corporation Tax and Capital Gains TaxChapter IV Share Options, Profit Sharing and Employee Share Ownership Profit sharing schemes The release date.1161In section 187(2) of the Taxes Act 1988 (interpretation of sections 185 and 186 of, and Schedules 9 and 10 to, that Act) in the definition of “release date” (the fifth anniversary of the date on which shares were appropriated to a participant in a profit sharing scheme) for “fifth” there shall be substituted “ third ”.2The amendment made by subsection (1) above shall have effect in relation to shares of a participant in a profit sharing scheme if the third anniversary of the appropriation of the shares to the participant occurs on or after the day on which this Act is passed.3If the third anniversary of the appropriation of any shares to a participant in a profit sharing scheme has occurred, but the fifth anniversary of their appropriation to him has not occurred, before the passing of this Act, then, in the application of sections 186 and 187 of, and Schedules 9 and 10 to, the Taxes Act 1988 in relation to those shares, the release date shall be the day on which this Act is passed.