Pension contributions paid by employers have always been a very tax-efficient way of providing an income to directors and is generally better than a salary or dividends- but only to an extent!
Income tax relief for pension contributions is capped at £60,000 per year for both employer and personal contributions, with employer contributions being especially tax efficient. In the past, it also meant that whatever remained at death was usually outside your estate.
However, from April 2027, pension savings will be part of your estate for inheritance tax (IHT) and so will be subject to the usual IHT exemptions and nil rate band.
Any IHT payable on your estate reduces the amount remaining for your beneficiaries who will still have to pay income tax on the money they receive. However, you can still save tax with these two simple options:
1. Draw enough from your pension fund to utilise your tax-free allowances and lower rate bands. From this, make regular gifts (at least once every two years) of some or all of this income. These gifts are exempt from IHT.
2. Make gifts from capital because this will be ignored when calculating IHT on your estate if they were made seven or more years before death.
So, despite the changes coming in April 2027, employer pension contributions are still worth it for tax-efficiency. Even though IHT can apply, it can be reduced by using the above options. If you are still unsure on what will be best for you, give us a call today on 01622 738165 and the team will help you out.