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Self-invested personal pension

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contributions was decreased to £50,000 for tax years 2012/13 and 2013/14, and was decreased further to £40,000 starting with the 2014/15 tax year. The SIPP provider claims a tax refund at the basic rate on behalf of the customer (i.e. you pay £2,880 and your fund contribution for the year will become £3,600). The 20% is usually added to the 'pot' some 6–11 weeks after your payment is made. Higher rate and additional rate taxpayers must claim any additional tax refund through their
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relying on the higher limit. In the Chancellor's 2012 Autumn Statement, it was confirmed that the lifetime allowance would fall further, to £1.25 million from 6 April 2014 (again with the option of certain individuals being able to claim the previous level of lifetime allowance). In March 2015, a further reduction to £1 million was announced from 6 April 2016, with the allowance to be adjusted for inflation, based on the
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SIPP Lite or Single Investment. A recent trend towards schemes that feature much lower fees for investments that are typically placed in only one asset. For these purposes, an investment platform or a stockbroker/discretionary fund manager account usually is classed as a single investment. An upgrade
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in which most or all of the pension assets are generally held in insured pension funds (although some providers will offer direct access to mutual funds). Self-investment or income withdrawal activity is deferred until an indeterminate date, and this gives rise to the name. In some newer schemes of
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Contributions to SIPPs are treated identically to contributions to other types of personal pension. Contributions are limited to £3,600 (£2,880 before 20% tax refund) or 100% of earned income (if higher). The maximum was £255,000 for the 2010/11 tax year but the 'Annual Allowance' for all pension
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Unlike conventional personal pensions where the provider as trustee has ownership and control of the assets, in a SIPP the member may have ownership of the assets (via an individual trust) as long as the scheme administrator is a co-trustee to exercise control. In practice, most SIPPs do not work
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If the fund value exceeds the lifetime allowance, the amount above the lifetime allowance will be taxed at 55%. The lifetime allowance was £1.8 million in the 2010–11 and 2011-12 tax years. From April 2012 the lifetime allowance fell to £1.5 million but there are provisions for those previously
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Hybrid. A scheme in which some of the assets must always be held in conventional insured pension funds, with the rest being able to be 'self-invested'. This has been a common offering from mainstream personal pension providers, who require insured funds in order to derive their product
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if they have one, or by otherwise contacting HMRC (being a higher rate taxpayer, being self-employed or having paid too much tax, are all triggers for being requested to complete a tax return). Employer contributions are usually allowable against corporation tax or income tax.
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The HMRC rules allow for a greater range of investments to be held than personal pension schemes, notably equities and property. Rules for contributions, benefit withdrawal etc. are the same as for other personal pension schemes. Another subset of this type of pension is the
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At any time after the SIPP holder reaches early retirement age (55 from April 2010) they may elect to take a pension from some or all of their fund. After taking up to 25% as a tax-free Pension Commencement Lump Sum, the remaining money can either be moved into
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Investors may make choices about what assets are bought, leased or sold, and decide when those assets are acquired or disposed of, subject to the agreement of the SIPP trustees (usually the SIPP provider).
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Rules exist to prevent the Pension Commencement Lump Sum being recycled back into the SIPP (and neither drawdown nor annuity payments count as earned income for the purpose of making SIPP contributions).
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on contributions in exchange for limits on accessibility. SIPPs are tax-efficient investment vehicles as they allow investors to receive income tax relief on their contributions at their highest
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Income from assets within the scheme is untaxed (although prior to the abolition of UK Dividend Tax Credit in April 2016, those credits could not be reclaimed). Growth is free from
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The Finance Act 2004 implemented wide-ranging changes to the UK pensions regime, most of which came into force on 6 April 2006 (also known as A-Day) and is commonly referred to as
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Investments currently permitted by primary legislation but subsequently made subject to heavy tax penalties (and therefore typically not allowed by SIPP providers) include: 
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The role of the scheme administrator in this situation is to control what is happening and to ensure that the requirements for tax approval continue to be met.
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All assets are permitted by HMRC, however some will be subject to tax charges. The assets that are not subject to a tax charge are: 
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liability. The investments can grow tax-free, a lump sum can be taken by the investor tax-free on retirement, and SIPPs attract better
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Any item of tangible movable property (whose market value does not exceed £6,000) – subject to further conditions on use of property
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which allows individuals to make their own investment decisions from the full range of investments approved by
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this type, there are over a thousand fund options, so they are not as restrictive as they once were.
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The pensions industry has gravitated towards four industry terms to describe generic SIPP types:
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Pure or full. Schemes offer unrestricted access to many allowable investment asset classes.
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SIPPs can borrow up to 50% of the net value of the pension fund to invest in any assets.
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The rules and conditions for a broader range of investments were originally set out in
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Ground rents (as long as they do not contain any element of residential property)
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to a full SIPP in the future may be allowed, depending on the scheme.
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in 1989. However, the first true SIPP was taken out in March 1990.
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Futures and options traded on a recognised futures exchange
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treatment if the beneficiary dies before the age of 75.
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this way and simply have the provider as SIPP trustee.
423:"Pensions tax relief is cut again to save £1bn a year" 267:' (where it remains invested) or used to purchase an 51:. Any contributions from employers will reduce their 558:Tax-advantaged savings plans in the United Kingdom 394:"Royal Mint opens gold vault to pension investors" 392: 345:http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensionschemes/css-0607.htm 150:Stocks and shares listed on a recognised exchange 529: 375:"IR76 Personal Pension Scheme Guidance Notes" 417: 415: 380:. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). 204:Commercial property (including hotel rooms) 175:that do not invest in residential property 553:1990 establishments in the United Kingdom 469: 412: 472:"Budget 2015: pension changes explained" 503:. The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS). 501:"Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)" 343:HMRC Registered Pension Scheme Manual ( 530: 369: 367: 390: 137: 470:Blackmore, Nicole (18 March 2015). 364: 24:) is the name given to the type of 13: 14: 569: 509:"Self-invested personal pensions" 493: 391:Cumbo, Josephine (8 June 2016). 241: 117:Deferred. This is effectively a 273:Government Actuary's Department 213:Derivatives products such as a 162:open-ended investment companies 543:Pensions in the United Kingdom 463: 441: 384: 350: 337: 312: 201:Deposits and deposit interests 18:self-invested personal pension 1: 449:"Tax when you get a pension" 101: 7: 293: 77:Joint Office Memorandum 101 10: 574: 300:Individual savings account 210:Traded endowments policies 70: 65:stakeholder pension scheme 305: 192:Unitised insurance funds 215:contract for difference 119:personal pension scheme 30:personal pension scheme 96:pension simplification 34:HM Revenue and Customs 85:James Hay Partnership 513:Money Advice Service 287:, starting in 2018. 285:Consumer Price Index 237:Residential property 324:www.telegraph.co.uk 79:issued by the UK's 548:1990 introductions 429:. 5 December 2012 257:capital gains tax 198:insurers and IPAs 182:Investment trusts 138:Investment choice 49:marginal tax rate 565: 524: 516: 504: 487: 486: 484: 482: 467: 461: 460: 458: 456: 445: 439: 438: 436: 434: 419: 410: 409: 407: 405: 396: 388: 382: 381: 379: 371: 362: 361: 354: 348: 341: 335: 334: 332: 330: 316: 573: 572: 568: 567: 566: 564: 563: 562: 528: 527: 519: 507: 499: 496: 491: 490: 480: 478: 468: 464: 454: 452: 447: 446: 442: 432: 430: 421: 420: 413: 403: 401: 399:Financial Times 389: 385: 377: 373: 372: 365: 356: 355: 351: 342: 338: 328: 326: 318: 317: 313: 308: 296: 244: 178:Unlisted shares 140: 104: 73: 57:inheritance tax 12: 11: 5: 571: 561: 560: 555: 550: 545: 540: 526: 525: 517: 505: 495: 494:External links 492: 489: 488: 462: 451:. 6 April 2015 440: 411: 383: 363: 349: 336: 310: 309: 307: 304: 303: 302: 295: 292: 243: 240: 239: 238: 235: 232: 225: 224: 218: 211: 208: 205: 202: 199: 189: 179: 176: 169: 156:Authorised UK 154: 151: 139: 136: 135: 134: 130: 127: 123: 103: 100: 89:Provident Life 81:Inland Revenue 72: 69: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 570: 559: 556: 554: 551: 549: 546: 544: 541: 539: 536: 535: 533: 522: 518: 514: 510: 506: 502: 498: 497: 477: 476:The Telegraph 473: 466: 450: 444: 428: 424: 418: 416: 400: 395: 387: 376: 370: 368: 359: 353: 346: 340: 325: 321: 315: 311: 301: 298: 297: 291: 288: 286: 280: 276: 274: 270: 266: 260: 258: 253: 250: 242:Tax treatment 236: 233: 230: 229: 228: 222: 219: 216: 212: 209: 206: 203: 200: 197: 193: 190: 187: 183: 180: 177: 174: 171:Unauthorised 170: 167: 163: 159: 155: 152: 149: 148: 147: 144: 131: 128: 124: 120: 116: 115: 114: 111: 108: 99: 97: 92: 90: 86: 82: 78: 68: 66: 60: 58: 54: 53:corporate tax 50: 46: 42: 37: 35: 31: 27: 26:UK government 23: 19: 512: 479:. Retrieved 475: 465: 453:. Retrieved 443: 431:. Retrieved 426: 402:. Retrieved 398: 386: 352: 339: 327:. Retrieved 323: 314: 289: 281: 277: 261: 254: 245: 226: 221:Gold bullion 145: 141: 112: 109: 105: 93: 76: 74: 61: 43:", allowing 41:tax wrappers 38: 21: 17: 15: 404:12 November 358:"SIPP Lite" 184:subject to 173:unit trusts 158:unit trusts 45:tax rebates 39:SIPPs are " 538:Investment 532:Categories 249:tax return 188:regulation 164:and other 28:-approved 102:Structure 427:BBC News 294:See also 265:drawdown 126:charges. 36:(HMRC). 521:"SIPPs" 481:5 April 455:6 April 433:8 April 329:28 June 269:annuity 259:(CGT). 71:History 378:(PDF) 306:Notes 217:(CFD) 194:from 168:funds 166:UCITS 483:2015 457:2015 435:2013 406:2016 331:2023 160:and 22:SIPP 186:FCA 534:: 511:. 474:. 425:. 414:^ 397:. 366:^ 322:. 196:EU 98:. 67:. 16:A 515:. 485:. 459:. 437:. 408:. 360:. 347:) 333:. 263:' 20:(

Index

UK government
personal pension scheme
HM Revenue and Customs
tax wrappers
tax rebates
marginal tax rate
corporate tax
inheritance tax
stakeholder pension scheme
Inland Revenue
James Hay Partnership
Provident Life
pension simplification
personal pension scheme
unit trusts
open-ended investment companies
UCITS
unit trusts
Investment trusts
FCA
Unitised insurance funds
EU
contract for difference
Gold bullion
tax return
capital gains tax
drawdown
annuity
Government Actuary's Department
Consumer Price Index

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