The Annual Allowance

The Annual Allowance is an annual limit set by HMRC.

Contributions paid in excess of this amount are unlimited but will give rise to a tax charge on the pension scheme member.

The Annual Allowance for the tax year 2010/11 is £255,000, inclusive of your own contribution and any other amounts paid into an approved pension scheme.

The Annual Allowance increases each year.

The rates until the tax year 2016 have already been set and announced. They are:

 

The Annual Allowance: 2006/07 to 2011/12
Tax Year Annual Allowance
2006/07 £215,000
2007/08 £225,000
2008/09 £235,000
2009/10 £245,000
2010/11 £255,000
2011/12 £50,000

 

Contributions in excess of the Annual Allowance can be made but will be subject to a special tax charge of 40%.

In measuring contributions against the annual allowance, contributions paid to an arrangement from which all benefits are taken in a particular tax year will be ignored. This effectively means that in the fund year in which you retire and take your benefits, there is no charge in respect of any contributions paid in excess of the Annual Allowance for that year.

There is no Annual Allowance in the year of vesting, i.e. contributions to a defined contribution scheme or increases in the value of a pension in a defined benefit scheme that take place in the year benefits are vested will be ignored for the purposes of the annual allowance. 


pensions at credencis pensions page on facebook pensions and investments on twitter linked in to pensions and investments