Introduction Background Note
20.Individuals can save as much as they like in a registered pension scheme subject to overall limits on the amount of tax relief their pension savings can benefit from. These limits are the lifetime and annual allowances. The lifetime allowance is the maximum amount of pension and/or lump sum that an individual can take from pension schemes that benefit from UK tax relief, including any UK tax relieved savings the individual has in a relieved non-UK pension scheme.
21.When an individual becomes entitled to their pension benefits, these benefits are tested to see if they exceed the individual’s lifetime allowance. If they do the excess is subject to the lifetime allowance charge. The rate of the charge will depend on how the individual takes their benefits. Any amount over the lifetime allowance taken as a lump sum is taxable at 55 per cent whilst any amount taken as a pension is taxable at 25 per cent, and the income will be taxable at the individual’s marginal rate.
22.The Government announced on 5 December 2012 that legislation would be introduced to reduce the standard lifetime allowance to £1.25 million for the 2014-15 tax year onwards. It also announced that fixed protection 2014 (FP14) would be introduced to protect individuals from potentially retrospective tax charges arising from the reduction and that it would consult on whether an individual protection regime should supplement FP14, to offer a more flexible framework. At Budget 2013 the Government confirmed that it would offer individual protection 2014 and that it would consult on the detail over the summer. That consultation took place from 10 June to 2 September. A summary of responses to the consultation was published on 10 December 2013.