Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003

[F1 646C Registered schemes: beneficiaries' annuities from drawdown funds U.K.

(1) The charge to tax under this Part does not apply to a dependants' short-term annuity, nominees' short-term annuity, dependants' annuity or nominees' annuity paid to a person if—

(a) it is paid in respect of a deceased member of a registered pension scheme who had not reached the age of 75 at the date of the member's death,

(b) the member died on or after 3 December 2014, and

(c) the annuity was purchased using sums or assets out of the person's—

(i) dependant's drawdown pension fund,

(ii) dependant's flexi-access drawdown fund, or

(iii) nominee's flexi-access drawdown fund,

in respect of a money purchase arrangement under a registered pension scheme.

(2) The charge to tax under this Part does not apply to a successors' short-term annuity, or successors' annuity, paid to a person if—

(a) it is paid in respect of a deceased beneficiary of a deceased member of a registered pension scheme where the beneficiary had not reached the age of 75 at the date of the beneficiary's death,

(b) the beneficiary died on or after 3 December 2014, and

(c) the annuity was purchased using sums or assets out of the person's successor's flexi-access drawdown fund in respect of a money purchase arrangement under a registered pension scheme,

and here “beneficiary” means dependant, nominee or successor.

(3) Subsection (1) is subject to subsections (4) to (6).

(4) Subsection (1) does not exempt payments on or after 6 April 2015 to a person of a dependants' short-term annuity, or dependants' annuity, payable in respect of a deceased member of a registered pension scheme and purchased using sums or assets out of the person's dependant's drawdown pension fund in respect of a money purchase arrangement under a registered pension scheme (“the drawdown fund”) if before 6 April 2015—

(a) any payment of the annuity was made,

(b) any payment was made of any other dependants' short-term annuity, or dependants' annuity, purchased using sums or assets out of—

(i) the drawdown fund, or

(ii) any fund represented (to any extent) by the drawdown fund, or

(c) any payment of dependants' income withdrawal was made from—

(i) the drawdown fund, or

(ii) any fund represented (to any extent) by the drawdown fund.

(5) Subsection (1) does not exempt payments to a person of a dependants' short-term annuity, or dependants' annuity, payable in respect of a deceased member of a registered pension scheme and purchased using sums or assets out of the person's dependant's flexi-access drawdown fund in respect of a money purchase arrangement under a registered pension scheme (“the new fund”) if—

(a) any of the sums or assets that make up the new fund—

(i) became newly-designated dependant funds under paragraph 22A(2)(b) of Schedule 28 to FA 2004 or as a result of the operation of any of paragraphs 22B to 22D of that Schedule, or

(ii) arise, or (directly or indirectly) derive, from any such newly-designated funds or from sums or assets that to any extent so arise or derive,

(b) before 6 April 2015—

(i) any payment of dependants' income withdrawal in respect of the deceased member was made to the person from, or

(ii) any payment in respect of the deceased member was made to the person of a dependants' short-term annuity, or dependants' annuity, purchased using sums or assets out of,

the person's dependant's drawdown pension fund in respect of a money purchase arrangement under a registered pension scheme, and

(c) any of the sums or assets that made up that fund at the time of the payment make up, or are represented by sums or assets that to any extent make up, the new fund.

(6) Where relevant unused uncrystallised funds—

(a) are designated on or after 6 April 2015 as available for the payment of dependants' drawdown pension or nominees' drawdown pension, and

(b) as a result of the designation make up (to any extent) a person's dependant's flexi-access drawdown fund or nominee's flexi-access drawdown fund in respect of a money purchase arrangement under a registered pension scheme, but

(c) are not so designated before the end of the relevant two-year period,

subsection (1) does not exempt payments to the person of a dependants' short-term annuity, nominees' short-term annuity, dependants' annuity or nominees' annuity if any of the sums or assets used to purchase the annuity represent, at the time of the purchase, the whole or any part of those relevant unused uncrystallised funds.

(7) In this section “the relevant two-year period”, in relation to relevant unused uncrystallised funds held for the purposes of a money purchase arrangement relating to a deceased individual under a registered pension scheme, means the period of two years beginning with the earlier of—

(a) the day on which the scheme administrator first knew of the individual's death, and

(b) the day on which the scheme administrator could first reasonably have been expected to know of it.

(8) For the purposes of this section, sums or assets held after the death of a member of a registered pension scheme for the purposes of a money purchase arrangement relating to the member under the scheme are “relevant unused uncrystallised funds” if—

(a) they are unused uncrystallised funds, and

(b) the member had not reached the age of 75 at the date of the member's death.

(9) Paragraph 27E(4) and (5) of Schedule 28 to FA 2004 (meaning of “unused uncrystallised funds”) apply for the purposes of subsection (8)(a).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 646B-646F inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 4 para. 17(2) of the amending Act) by Finance Act 2015 (c. 11), Sch. 4 para. 17(1)