Need Help with Your Pension
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Wherever you are with your retirement objective, don t be put off from considering action, it s not too late. There are still steps you can put into place to improve the pension amount you ll get when you finish working.
Pensions are a very tax-efficient way to save. If you already have a pension, now would be a very good time to contact us about making a lump sum contribution to improve it, particularly as the end of tax yr is rapidly approaching, or starting a SIPP to widen your options. You will not have to take all your pensions at the same time.
If you are self employed, you can contribute up to 100 % of the value of your applicable UK earnings (salary and other earnings), up to a maximum of 245,000 for the 2009/10 tax yr rising to 255,000 for the tax year 2010/11. Contributions above this yearly amount are granted but will be taxed. You can contribute into any no. of pension schemes (personal and/or company) each year.
You will obtain tax relief on your Investments, so if you are a forty % tax payer a 20,000 investment would cost just 12,000. Basic rate tax relief is added by the government to all contributions at a rate of 20%.
High rate tax payers can claim up to a further 20 per cent tax relief via self assessment. If you earn more than 150,000 you will see the tax relief on your pensions cut from April 2011, tapering from 40 to 20 per cent for those earning more than 180,000. Wage Earners beneath 130,000 will not be affected.
There s a lifetime limit on the size of your pension savings, which is currently £1.75m in the tax year 2009/10 but rises to £1.8m for the 2010/11 tax year. If your investment fund surpasses this, you ll incur tax charges of 55 per cent if the surplus gains are taken as a lump sum and 25 % if taken as income. The income will then be subject to income tax at your highest rate.
From 6/4/10, the age at which you can start drawing your pension increases to 55. If you need to, pension benefits can be deferred until you are up to 75 yrs old. You might still be able to take your pension prior to age 55 in certain circumstances, e.g. if you retire through ill-health.
Consilium Asset Management Limited provide pension advice and retirement planning advice.
The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back your original investment. Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Tax benefits may vary as a result of statutory change and their value will depend on individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates and tax legislation may change in subsequent finance acts.