“Reeves includes pensions in series of reforms for growth”

Jul 7, 2024 | Pensions

An independent (financial adviser’s) view

I’ve had several emails within days of the Labour Landslide, from clients worried about their tax-free cash, tax relief on pension contributions or IHT and what will or won’t be paid out from their pensions on death. All rumour and speculation, as the only mention of pensions by a new government person so far is Rachel Reeve’s call/hope for pension funds to invest more in the UK. She’s talking here about the big final salary and occupational pensions, which, although part of a dying breed, still have many £billions on which they need to get a return. As for the rumours, who knows. What should comfort is that past, significant changes to pensions have only taken effect for new plans or new investments, not for what’s already there. A new broom could sweep in a different direction; but that’s not what’s been trailed so far.

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“HMRC: ‘digitalising tax process could close gap’”

“HMRC: ‘digitalising tax process could close gap’”

You, like a majority of both taxpayers and accountants, may have been sweating and cursing over a keyboard last week to submit a last-minute tax return. Many by the end of that accursed process will have been shouting ‘bring back paper!’, a vain and pointless hope, I’m afraid.