Pensions Advice
Wherever you are with your retirement plan, don’t be put off from considering action, it s not too late. There are still steps you can take to improve the income you’ll receive when you finish working.
Pensions are a highly tax-efficient way to invest. If you already have a pension, now would be a very good time to contact us about making a lump sum contribution to boost it, particularly as the close of tax yr is speedily forthcoming, or starting a self invested personal pension to widen your options. You will not have to take all your pensions at the same time.
If you’re self employed, you can contribute up to 100 % of the value of your relevant 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 yr 2010/11. Investments above this yearly limit are granted but will be taxed. You can invest into any no. of pension schemes (personal and/or company) each year.
You will obtain tax relief on your contributions, so if you are a forty percent tax payer a 20,000 investment would cost just 12,000. Basic rate tax relief is supplied by the government to all contributions at a rate of twenty%.
Forty% tax payers can claim up to a further 20 per cent 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 % for those making more than 180,000. Earners below 130,000 will not be impacted.
There s a lifetime limit on the size of your pension pot, which is presently £1.75m in the tax yr 2009/10 but rises to £1.8m for the 2010/11 tax yr. If your pot surpasses this, you ll incur tax charges of 55 per cent if the surplus gains are taken as a lump sum and 25 percent 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 rises 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 before age 55 in certain circumstances, e.g if you retire through ill-health.
If you are looking at retirement planning why not contact our South Gloucestershire office to discuss your own personal requirements.
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.
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