Why Can't I Transfer My Old Fireman's Pension?
Question asked by PD Berry
Could you explain to me what the annual allowance is and what it means for my pension? Also, I’ve heard that there’s also a reduced annual allowance. Will I be able to contribute less to my pension as a result?
The annual allowance is how much you can contribute to your pension each tax year and still get tax relief on those contributions. The annual pension allowance in the 2023/24 tax year is £60,000 for most people.
Today’s £60,000 annual allowance threshold is a gross figure – it includes HMRC’s contributions to your pension in the form of tax relief and any contributions from your employer.
Importantly, if you want to pay the maximum £60,000 annual allowance into your pension, your earnings will need to be at least equal £60,000 to do so.
Another way in which the government has reduced the annual allowance will affect those who have a combined taxable income and pension contributions of over £260,000 per year.
From April 2023, anyone in this with such earnings will see their annual pension allowance taper off by £1 for every £2 they earn above £260,000. This is subject to a maximum tapering of £30,000.
IMPORTANT NOTICE 🧐
The following information on tapering the annual allowance is subject to change in April 2023.
As such, anyone with an annual pensionable income of £210,000 or more from the 2016/17 tax year onwards has their yearly pension allowance tapered down to just £10,000.