Pensions tax relief (UK Finance Act 2014)

In order to be awarded CPD units you must answer the following five random questions correctly. If you fail the test, please re-read the article before attempting the questions again.

  1. What is the annual allowance for 2014-15?

  2. A person has made pension savings of GBP 54,000 for 2012-13, GBP 13,000 for 2013-14, but was not a member of a pension scheme for 2011-12. The pension input period ends on 5 April. What is the maximum pension saving that can be made for 2014-15 without incurring an annual allowance tax charge?

  3. In what order are annual allowances used?

  4. A person has two pension arrangements. The first scheme has a pension input period ending on 31 May, and the second has an input period ending on 31 January. Which input periods are relevant for 2014-15?

  5. A self-employed person makes regular contributions into a personal pension scheme on the 15th of each month. The scheme’s pension input period ends on 31 December. Gross contributions of GBP 1,200 per month were made during the year ended 31 December 2014, and contributions of GBP 1,300 per month will be made during the year ended 31 December 2015. On what amount of pension savings will tax relief be given for 2014-15?

  6. An employee is a member of a final salary scheme that will provide him with a pension of 1/40th of salary for each year of service. The pension input period ends on 31 January. On 31 January 2015 the salary of the employee was GBP 84,000 and he had 14 years of service. What is the closing value of the pension for the input period ended 31 January 2015?

  7. An employee is a member of a final salary scheme. The pension input period ends on 5 April. On 6 April 2014 the notional capital value of the pension is calculated at GBP 435,700, and at 5 April 2015 it is calculated at GBP 492,200. The 12 month increase in the Consumer Price Index for September 2013 is 2.7percent. What is the employee’s pension savings for annual allowance purposes for 2014-15?

  8. An annual allowance tax charge is at what rate of tax?

  9. A person will make pension savings of GBP 124,000 for 2014-15. For each of the previous six years the pension savings have been GBP 35,000 per year. The pension input period ends on 5 April. What is the amount of surplus subject to an annual allowance tax charge in 2014-15?

  10. A person has a pension scheme where the most recent pension input period ended on 31 May 2014. That person now wants to change their pension input period. Which one of the following pension input periods will be permitted?