pension tax implications?

alanbee

Does anyone know what the tax implications are from April 2015 for taking pension pots?

I already draw a final salary pension and Instead of an annuity I plan to take my pot next year at 57 yrs old and use it to fund my retirement until 65 when I draw another final salary pension then at 66 my state.
I don't want to believe that I have a pot of money only to find the tax man rakes a chuck off. My plan would be to top up my income by about £5k per year from the pot,

Thanks

jamesd

Usual 25% tax free lump sum. The remainder is added to your taxable income in the year in which you take it.

I suggest that you always take out enough to use your income tax personal allowance fully and put any excess into a S&S ISA to produce ongoing tax free income once you get the final pension.

alanbee

That was my other concern,

If I took the pot (which is around £83k) where do I put the cash to ensure it stays tax free. If I top up my income from the pot, how does the taxman know how much I am taking and hence how much to tax me?

Alan

kidmugsy

alanbee wrote: »

If I top up my income from the pot, how does the taxman know how much I am taking and hence how much to tax me?

In my experience the provider subtracts basic rate tax from the non-tax-free bit. You then sort out the details with HMRC.

xylophone

I already draw a final salary pension

Which uses up your personal tax allowance?

jamesd

Pension income payments are handled under PAYE so the pension company will make the usual PAYE reports to HMRC and issue P60 to you at the end of each tax year. Tax is deducted according to the tax code that HMRC sends you and them as usual.

Sterlingtimes

My post 2015 anxiety about taxation is similar.

If I take my final salary pension (without the 25%) at age 60 when it is due, can I use increase the pension contribution from my salary by an equivalent amount up to £40,000 without invoking the new £10,000 limit?

jamesd

[STRIKE]We don't know the final rules but no, you won't be able to do that. As soon as you take any pension income your limit is cut to £10,000.

Some defined benefit pensions increase the amount that they pay if you take them after normal retirement age. Alternatively you can fund the pension contributions at £40,000 a year in a wide range of ways starting before you reach age 60.[/STRIKE]

Yes, you can take defined benefit pension income without incurring the limit.

FatherAbraham

jamesd wrote: »

Some defined benefit pensions increase the amount that they pay if you take them after normal retirement age. Alternatively you can fund the pension contributions at £40,000 a year in a wide range of ways starting before you reach age 60.

Yes, but that's not much good if one were going to use those annual £40k allowances already.

You imply that some DBs don't make actuarial increases if commencement is deferred until after normal retirement age. People with those types of benefits will have to choose between losing income and losing £30k of the annual allowance for the rest of their contributing lives.

This is what I was on about the other day, and everyone seemed to think it wasn't a problem.

Warmest regards,
FA

greenglide

What about people (like me!) who are already in receipt of a DB pension (LGPS wouldn't let me defer it) and are contributing to a current scheme (DB as well) and AVCs.

Cutting my allowance to £10k wouldn't be very nice at all.

Sterlingtimes

Thank you, Jamesd and Father A.

My general concern is that the DB pension imposes upon me income at 60 that I do not want until I stop work. The rules do not appear to provide for deferment. With a DC pension, deferment is mechanical.

If the new £10,000 limit applies to both DB and DC pensions (and I am not sure that that is the case) then there needs to be a fair mechanism to stop the DB pension without compromising its value. The DB pension becomes a tax disbenefit.