Topic: Taxation of ESOPs 

Speakers: Ms. Bharathi Krishnaprasad, Director and Mr. B. Venkat Ramanan, Associate Director, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, Attorneys

Presentation:
Employee Stock Option Plans have evolved as an accepted and preferred mechanism for rewarding employees by granting them an opportunity to hold capital in the employer organization. Despite becoming a household name for employee retention and reward, tax implications surrounding the same have always remained a point of deliberation. 

a. Taxation in the hands of employees in cross border scenarios of grant of ESOPs.
b. Taxation in hands of employees on alienation of stocks acquired under ESOPs, particularly in scenarios where there is a change in residency status between exercise and alienation.
c. Eligibility in the hands of the employer to claim deduction for accounted ESOP expenditure.

Speakers' bios:

Sri. B Venkatramanan is a Chartered Accountant and Associate Director at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, Chennai. He has been with the firm since April 2018 and has over eight years of experience in tax laws and exchange control regulations .

His core expertise lies in providing strategic advice on transactions, litigation, and regulatory investigations. He regularly represents clients before tax authorities, enforcement agencies, and tribunals.

Venkatramanan is also a speaker and writer on tax-related topics. He frequently lectures at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and contributes to discussions through articles and industry forums. He is actively involved with the International Fiscal Association, Chennai Chapter.

Bharathi Krishnaprasad, Director, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan. Bharathi Krishnaprasad is a Chartered Accountant and is associated with Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan since 2015. She has previously worked as a Corporate Banker with a leading private sector bank in India.

Bharathi focuses on direct taxes and foreign exchange laws. She advises clients on broad range of issues relating to domestic and international taxation, corporate restructuring and tax compliances. She also handles litigation upto the stage of Tribunals.

She is also a qualified cost management accountant and has qualified all levels of examinations conducted by CFA, USA.