Avoiding tax traps: Achieving 60% tax relief with pensions
Sponsored feature | By Laura Ingram, financial planner, N W Brown
By reclaiming the personal allowance, high earners may obtain effective tax relief of 60 per cent when making a personal pension contribution.
The standard tax-free personal allowance is £11,850, increasing to £12,500 from 6 April 2019. A taper applies to those with taxable income surpassing £100,000, which reduces their personal allowance by £1 for every £2 above that figure.
This results in a ‘tax trap’, with an effective rate of 60 per cent income tax payable on earnings between £100,000 and £123,700. There are multiple methods to avoid this trap, but one of the most straightforward is through pension contributions.
For personal pension contributions the provider will reclaim basic rate tax relief of 20 per cent. To obtain further relief the ‘gross contribution’ is recorded on your tax return, and used to reduce your taxable income for that year.
If your taxable income is reduced below £123,700 you will receive further tax relief of 20 per cent on the contribution (higher rate tax at 40 per cent, less the basic rate received within the plan), and further tax relief of 40 per cent on the recovered personal allowance, as our example shows:
Net contribution: £18,960
Basic rate relief (plan): £4,740
Gross contribution: £23,700
Higher rate relief (tax assessment): £4,740
Tax recovered from personal allowance: £4,740
Total tax relief: £14,220
Percentage of gross contribution: 60%
As this is claimed via your tax assessment the relief is acquired via rebate after the relevant tax year.
Pension contributions may be utilised in this manner whether you have regular income exceeding £100,000 or if your taxable income has spiked for a particular tax year, such as from exercising share options or from a redundancy payment.
However, the rules surrounding this area can be complicated. If your income exceeds £150,000 your ability to make contributions may be affected by another taper which limits the amount you may place in a pension each year. If your income is at these levels then obtaining advice is essential before making further pension contributions, particularly as there may be alternative options which are more suited to your needs.
If you require advice on mitigating your tax liability and planning for your future with Laura, you can reach her on 01223 720241 or laura.ingram@nwbrown.co.uk
NW Brown Wealth Management is a trading name of NW Brown & Company Limited. NW Brown & Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (191123).
