Need Help with Your Pension
Wherever you are with your retirement savings, don t be put off from taking action, it s not too late. There are however steps you can take to boost the income you ll receive 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 talk to us about making a single premium investment to boost it, particularly as the close of tax yr is rapidly forthcoming, or starting a SIPP to widen your choices. You will not have to draw all your pensions at the same time.
If you re employer or 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 year rising to 255,000 for the tax year 2010/11. Contributions above this annual limit are allowed but will be taxed. You can contribute into any number of pension schemes (personal and/or company) each year.
You ll obtain tax relief on your Investment, so if you are a 40% tax payer a 20,000 contribution would cost just 12,000. Basic rate tax relief is supplied by the government to all contributions at a rate of 20 per cent.
Forty percent tax payers can claim up to a further twenty % tax relief via their tax return. 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 below 130,000 will not be affected.
There s a lifetime limit on the amount of your pension pot, which is presently £1.75m in the tax year 2009/10 but rises to £1.8m for the 2010/11 tax yr. If your pot passes 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 6th April 10, the age at which you can start drawing your pension rises to 55. If you need to, pension benefits can be postponed until you are up to 75 years old. You might still be able to take your pension before age 55 in some circumstances, for example if you retire through ill-health.
Consilium Asset Management supply 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.