ESOP – A Strategic Opportunity for Executives: How an Employee Stock Ownership Plan Works
An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is an effective tool to ensure that employees remain genuinely invested in the long-term success of the company—while allowing executives and owners to benefit from favourable tax treatment and to optimise their remuneration structure in a cost-efficient manner.
Our experts work in close cooperation with you to design an employee stock ownership plan that is fully aligned with your company’s specific needs and long-term strategic objectives. The implementation is supported by the legal professionals of ICT LEGAL, Termel & Zsidi Law Firm, the tax advisors of ICT Business Advisory Zrt., and the HR specialists of ICT HR, ensuring a comprehensive and well-founded professional framework.
More than 200 companies have already chosen our services.
Scroll down for more information!
Contact us!
Please note:
At present, we are unable to accept sole proprietorships, as our services are primarily tailored to corporate entities. Thank you for your understanding.
Challenges
What is an ESOP and how can it serve your company’s interests?
An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is not merely a form of employee benefit; it is a consciously applied strategic instrument designed to strengthen employee motivation, loyalty, and performance. Through an ESOP, employees can directly participate in the company’s results, creating a stronger connection to its operations and long-term success—while providing tangible tax and cost-efficiency advantages for the employer.
A well-structured program not only fosters an ownership mindset among employees, but also supports talent retention and enhances the company’s attractiveness on the labour market, thereby creating a real competitive advantage. It is important to note that ESOPs are available exclusively to private companies limited by shares (Zrt.). For companies currently operating as limited liability companies (Kft.), the first step is a corporate transformation. This process can be planned and executed in a legally and financially secure manner, unlocking not only the benefits of an ESOP but also additional business and financing opportunities associated with a joint-stock company structure.
Supports the Retention of Key Employees
One of the greatest challenges for companies is retaining key employees over the long term—those individuals who play a decisive role in the company’s performance and strategic development. An ESOP strengthens commitment and loyalty while elevating cooperation to a new level. As remuneration becomes partially linked to company performance, employees experience corporate success as their own, making external offers—no matter how attractive—less compelling.
Provides Significant Tax Advantages
One of the most important benefits of an ESOP is the substantial tax advantage it offers to employers. Remuneration provided through an ESOP is subject to more favourable taxation than traditional bonuses or premiums: it is not burdened by social contribution tax (szocho), and only 15% personal income tax (SZJA) applies. In addition, contributions made to the ESOP are recognised as deductible expenses for corporate income tax purposes, resulting in further financial benefits for the employer.
Strengthens Corporate Culture and an Ownership Mindset
An ESOP represents a long-term strategic investment in corporate culture and employee mindset. Through participation, employees develop a closer connection to the company and increasingly approach day-to-day operations with an ownership perspective. Rather than seeing themselves solely as employees, they begin to act as partners with a vested interest in the company’s success—enhancing accountability, collaboration, and innovative thinking. A well-functioning ESOP promotes proactive behaviour, increases trust and engagement within teams, and supports the development of a strong and sustainable corporate culture.
Enables More Predictable Financial Planning
When remuneration is aligned with company performance, costs become more transparent and predictable. ESOP-related payments are directly linked to results, meaning the company only incurs expenses when predefined performance targets are met. Unlike traditional bonus systems, ESOPs do not create fixed, ongoing payroll costs. Instead, the structure flexibly follows the company’s performance, supporting the sustainable management of remuneration expenses.
Creates a More Competitive Remuneration Structure
A well-designed ESOP enhances the competitiveness of the remuneration system by offering employees an attractive long-term perspective while remaining cost-efficient for the company. Compared to traditional bonus and incentive schemes, this approach provides genuine participation in corporate results and encourages long-term commitment. As a result, the company operates more efficiently not only from a financial perspective—through tax optimisation —but also becomes more attractive to highly qualified professionals. In an increasingly competitive market environment, an ESOP serves as a modern strategic tool for attracting and retaining top talent.
Reduces Turnover and Strengthens Loyalty
Long-term employee commitment is often achieved when future financial interests are directly linked to company performance. An ESOP establishes precisely this connection: it incentivises retention, reduces employee turnover, and is particularly effective in stabilising key positions. A well-functioning program provides both security and competitiveness, helping teams remain resilient in a dynamic labour market.
Our guide provides a detailed overview of how the ESOP works.
Request a no-obligation consultation!
Benefits
Why choose us?
Leading Expertise in Establishing ESOP Structures
Our law firm has hands-on experience in designing optimal ESOP structures. This practical expertise enables us to deliver efficient, tailored solutions for our clients.
Clear and transparent communication
We believe that the operation of an employee stock ownership plan should be understandable even without in-depth legal knowledge. That is why we ensure transparent, clear, and practice-oriented communication at every stage of the process.
Discretion and Security
We treat the protection of personal and financial data as a top priority. Throughout the advisory and implementation phases of the ESOP, we operate with full discretion and the highest standards of data security—allowing you to focus exclusively on your strategic objectives.
Tailored Solutions for Individual Needs
We recognise that each client’s ESOP requirements are shaped by unique circumstances. Our experts take your ideas into account, propose further development opportunities, and implement the solution best suited to your specific situation.
Comprehensive Advisory Support
Our involvement goes beyond the establishment of the program. We provide ongoing, comprehensive advisory support throughout the entire lifecycle of the ESOP—covering legal, financial, HR, and tax-related matters—to ensure that every decision is well-informed and secure.
A Long-Term Partnership
Our goal is to become a reliable long-term partner you can always depend on. We continuously monitor regulatory changes and financial market developments to ensure that you receive the most up-to-date and relevant advice at all times.
Your business is our focus!
Discover how an Employee Stock Ownership Plan can become a strategic asset for your company
Whether addressing HR considerations, legal and tax implications, or executive-level decision-making, we provide end-to-end support throughout the entire process—from initial planning to full implementation. An ESOP is not only a viable solution, but a genuine strategic advantage in today’s competitive labour market.
Request a no-obligation consultation!
We provide you with a complete solution – supporting you from the initial ESOP concept through to implementation.
We provide a dedicated legal expert.
We put our experience and expertise at your service.
We provide a dedicated tax advisor.
We provide ongoing support throughout the entire process.
Where required, we provide a dedicated HR advisor.
We work closely with you to develop the best possible solution.
Our strategic partner
Accurate accounting is the secret to long-term relationships.
Our strategic cooperation partner is Login Autonom Kft., a leading provider of HR digitalization solutions. As part of this partnership, we optionally integrate an innovative software solution into our payroll services, offering significant advantages to our clients.
The software allows you to replace the traditional paper-based attendance record in Excel spreadsheets with a fully digitised system.
This solution enables accurate, fast and transparent management of working time and absences, while significantly increasing the efficiency of personnel management.
Learn more about our Company!
Our Group in numbers
175+
Experts
50+
Professional publication per year
15+
Years of professional experience
350+
Satisfied clients
Your business at the center
We deliver your ESOP efficiently.
Tailored Planning
We design the ESOP remuneration policy based on your specific needs and objectives, ensuring full alignment with your financial, incentive, and tax requirements.
Maximum Data Protection and Confidentiality
Throughout the ESOP advisory and implementation process, we guarantee full discretion and the highest level of data and information security.
Ongoing Advisory Support and Regulatory Updates
Our support extends beyond the establishment of the ESOP. We provide continuous advisory services, regularly informing you of relevant regulatory changes and offering guidance on ongoing optimisation opportunities.
Your company
Comprehensive Advisory Support
Our expert team takes care of every legal, financial, HR, and tax-related detail, ensuring a fully integrated and well-coordinated approach.
Flexibility and Adaptability
We structure the ESOP in line with your strategic objectives, allowing it to be easily adapted over time to changing business needs and life situations—ensuring long-term effectiveness and sustainability.
Access to a Full Range of Integrated Services
An ESOP may be the starting point, but with a team of over 175 experts, we are able to support your business across a wide range of operational and strategic matters. Whether it involves accounting, payroll services, tax incentives, trust and fiduciary structures, company sales or acquisitions, HR audits, or other advisory needs, we act as your long-term strategic partner.
Who helps?
How we will work for you
We provide three colleagues for ongoing cooperation
Dedicated accountant
Contact us by filling in any of the forms on this page, or by calling our main telephone number or email address.
If you fill out the form, please provide your details and company information, and tell us in detail which of our services you are interested in.
Accounting Team Leader
In addition to the accountant, you will also be assigned an accountancy team leader with whom you will have a strategic relationship.
They will be the one who will make recommendations to you based on the data you see, and will compile the monthly accounting reports for your business.
The accounting team leader also supervises the work of the accountant on an ongoing basis and therefore also has a monitoring function, and therefore
You can rest assured that everything is fine.
Customer Relationship Manager
Contact us by filling in any of the forms on this page, or by calling our main telephone number or email address.
If you fill out the form, please provide your details and company information, and tell us in detail which of our services you are interested in.
Head of Customer Relationships
The Customer Relationship Manager is also responsible for customer satisfaction.
You can also turn to him if you want to give some feedback.
Testimonials
Our clients said
Átlátható, proaktív könyvelés
“I enjoy working with you because you are extremely efficient, our accounting has become transparent and easy to follow thanks to you, and you always respond quickly to my questions. The biggest advantage for me is that with you, accounting is not just a “mandatory task,” but you convert the numbers into valuable data that I can use to make decisions.”
Balázs Háromfai
Biobubi Franchise Kft. – CEO
Tax optimization
Enikő Bakó
CEO - Pan–Italia Kft.
Due diligence
"Based on its broad and high-quality professional coverage, the ICT group did an excellent job for us in carrying out the entire due diligence process, thus contributing significantly to the successful acquisition of Unichem Kft by our group's parent company, Donauchemie AG."
Antal Braunecker
Donauchem Kft. – CEO
Comprehensive, complex services
"We have experience with ICT in the areas of accounting, taxation, and auditing. Our daily collaboration works very well, and we receive professional support during our joint work. Their supportive attitude, professional knowledge, and teamwork are unquestionable. Based on our previous experience, we trust that they will perform their tasks with the highest level of professional expertise."
Katalin Pálinkás
WebEye Hungary Kft. – CFO
Legal services
“The ICT Europe team worked with maximum precision and speed on every project, ensuring that deadlines were always met. Thanks to the team's outstanding communication skills, legal issues were resolved quickly and efficiently, which contributed significantly to the success of our work. Their expertise and commitment enabled us to move forward smoothly, ensuring the highest level of service for our clients. The professional knowledge and commitment of the firm's staff ensured that we were supported with the highest quality legal services, so our collaboration was truly flawless.
László Derecskey
Belvárosi Nyomda Zrt. – CEO
Accounting and advisory
“I am very grateful to fate that I have a service provider like the ICT Group as my partner. Through the SLM system, accounting is very simple, up-to-date, and easy to track. In addition to accounting, they provide many consulting and legal services that are very useful in everyday life. The contact persons are highly trained in their fields, helpful, and, importantly, available when needed."
Zoltán Seprenyi
Zconcept Kft. – CEO
Legal services
“Over the past few years, we have used ICT Europe’s corporate and labor law services on several occasions and have been very satisfied with them. They have always provided professional and thoughtful answers to our questions. Throughout our collaboration, we have always felt their expertise and reliability, so we can confidently recommend them to anyone who needs high-quality advice."
Gergely Ujváry
HAFNER Pneumatika Kft. – CEO
Accounting
We chose ICT as our accountancy firm 7 years ago, we were welcomed by a professional team and the transition was smooth. Their professionalism, reliability and excellent communication have made this a balanced and harmonious partnership, whether it be for labour, payroll, accounting or tax. We work together in perfect harmony and seamlessly. As we operate a paperless office, we are happy to use the online system to upload documents, which supports our work with a wide range of statements and planning options.
Judit Bóna
CEO - Com-Forth Ipari Informatikai Kft.
General ledger
We switched from the risk of a small accountancy firm to the security of a professional accountancy firm. They created a structured order. They created security for accounting data. They anticipate the potential tax risks and tax benefits of each transaction. They provide fast and professional assistance in dealing with the tax authorities.
Róbert Kolonics
CFO - MICRO-TOP Kft.
Accounting
As a manager of a small business, I would never have imagined that "accounting" as a service could be run professionally, with responsibility! But I found what I thought did not exist!
Gábor Majoros
CEO - Enertech Hungária Kft.
Complex services
I like to work with you because, despite the fact that our company is not a simple structure (parent company in a 3rd country with a branch in another member state) and has a diverse supplier and customer base (domestic, EU and 3rd country), you are prepared, communicative, legally sound and up-to-date in your accounting tasks. It is a pleasure for me to be able to sit back and concentrate on other professional or managerial tasks!
Enrico Mák
CEO - Merico Zrt.
Complex services
Looking back on several years of successful and fruitful cooperation with ICT, I can confidently say that every day we confirm that it was the best decision to entrust our accounting, payroll and other consulting tasks to this team. The precise, accurate and comprehensive expertise that is concentrated in ICT is, for me, exemplary and respectable, and has been confirmed by many partners besides us. No doubt, we will continue to work with the ICT team in the future!
Bálint Farkas
CEO - Geodézia Zrt.
Legal services
“Több, mint 3 éve dolgozunk együtt az ICT-vel. A közös munkánk pont akkor kezdődött, amikor a cégünk fejlődése már megkívánt egy komplexebb könyvelői hátteret. Hideghívással kerestek meg minket, a tipikus „jókor voltak jó helyen” példája.
Elsőre profinak, magabiztosnak és megnyerőnek tűnt a csapat. Igyekeznek ’mindenben is’ támogatást nyújtani, amire egy cégnek szüksége lehet, az ajánlásaikkal több munkakapcsolatot alakítottunk már ki ügyvédi, vagy akár controlling területen.
Az állandóan változó világ minden cég számára hoz kihívásokat. Az ICT kollégái rugalmasan, pozitívan állnak minden újdonsághoz – a véleményüket is elmondják, de ha szükséges, tanulnak is velünk együtt.”
Varga Zsuzsanna
Két-KATA Kft. – Gazdasági vezető helyettes
More services
Related services
Tax optimization
The system of legal tax relief is based on three pillars and the law lists the relief options from "a" to "j". See if you are taking advantage of all the possibilities!s
Contact
Contact us!
Our colleagues in 24 hours will provide you with further details.
91-93. Budafoki street, Budapest, 1117
IP West Office Building 4th Floor
Contact us!
Please note:
At present, we are unable to accept sole proprietorships, as our services are primarily tailored to corporate entities. Thank you for your understanding.
FAQ
FAQ
A fiduciary allows you to manage your assets efficiently and securely, while ensuring they are protected and your long-term goals are met. It also allows you to optimise inheritance, reduce tax burdens and ensure discretionary and flexible management of your assets.
The special feature of a trust is that the assets are managed and protected by an independent third party who represents your interests. This ensures that the assets are always managed in accordance with their intended purpose and protects them from external risks or legal challenges.
The duration of the process depends on your specific needs and the legal steps required, but it usually takes a few weeks. Our team of experts will ensure a quick and efficient process so that you can start enjoying the benefits of trusts as soon as possible.
A trust is highly flexible, so it can be modified or adapted at any time to suit your changing needs and circumstances. Whether you want to appoint new beneficiaries or change the way your assets are managed, our experts can help you make the necessary changes.
We take great care to protect our customers' data and assets. We apply strict security measures and guarantee the highest level of discretion to give you peace of mind when managing your assets.
Contact us by filling in the form or contact us at info@icteuropa.hu e-mail address or by phone: +36-1-33-44-279. Our colleagues will discuss the options with you free of charge.
Leave the accounting tasks to us, minimise your HR risk!
Your business is our focus!
Engage an experienced team and save costs while building a sustainable solution and ensuring your company's accounting stability.
Scroll down for more information!
Contact us!
Please note:
At present, we are unable to accept sole proprietorships, as our services are primarily tailored to corporate entities. Thank you for your understanding.