EPP (Executive Pension Plan) Pre 2006 (A-Day)

pcsel

I have scoured the net trying to find the answer to this, spoke to the pension provider, HMRC Pensions, HMRC Tax etc etc and still can't get a defined answer....
I ran a Ltd Co from 1996 to about 2007 where as sole director and what I think is termed a 20% director I put some money into an Executive Pension Plan (EPP). The value of the pension is currently at £28k and I haven't put into it for years as the company was dissolved and I have a new company.
Apparently I *MAY* be entitled to more than the standard 25% TFC as it was a protected rights or something. I have received a form from the pension provider to choose one of 2 options depending if I qualified as:

1. 20% director (i.e. owned more tan 20% share / voting rights in the company) in which case I have to supply 3 years worth of salaries prior to 2006 (highest amounts) to see if I qualify for more than 25%.
2. Salaries + Benefits in Kind if NOT a 20% director. 

I believe I am the former.

I informed the Pension Provider that I don't have that information and who would they go to to check as I could just put some arbitrary figure.. They said HMRC but couldn't tell me who or where in HMRC to go to !!!
They also couldn't give me the formula or equation of HW they would calculate if I was entitled to more than 25% and didn't know much about it at all!! Really helpful..

I spoke to HMRC Pensions who put me on to HMRC Tax and they said they now only keep 4 years worth of data and it's NOT their responsibility to keep P60's and if ANY information was available it would be archived. I spoke to a HMRC Tax Technician in Liverpool who did find my earnings for 2007 which were £24,449 for the year he even gave me the date I left the agency that was an IT consultancy for but no other information.

I am a bit stumped as my understanding is that the more you earned then potentially the higher the chance that you could be entitled to more than 25%. I don't know enough about it and also don't know if I can just supply the salary that I was given by HMRC as that would have more than likely been the same for the previous 3 years prior to 2006 I think and see what comes back.. Everything I have read is so complex and confusing about it and I went through 5 different departments at Scottish Widows over a 2 hour phone call to try and ascertain what the requirements are for getting more than 25% and how I go about supplying information I do not have!!

Thanks in Advance 

Paul

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Did you file Self Assessment returns when you were a director and if so do you (or your accountant if you used one) have copies that might have the detail you require?

pcsel

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Did you file Self Assessment returns when you were a director and if so do you (or your accountant if you used one) have copies that might have the detail you require?

I did up until about 2002 when an agency I worked for took over and carried out my accounting and sent off returns to the tax office. I could try and contact my old accountant if they are still in business..

dunstonh

. I could try and contact my old accountant if they are still in business.. 

That is your best hope. However, they should really only retain data 6 years after it ceased.