Brits in Spain with old UK workplace pensions left guessing as Britain rewrites how pensions pay out
If you left a workplace pension behind in England and now live in Spain, you could one day be offered […]
Brits with old UK workplace pensions living in Spain are left in the dark as the government drafts new rules for pension payouts. Under the Guided Retirement proposals, workplace pension providers must offer a default pension that continues for life when a saver requests access to their funds. This includes deferred pots and those in drawdown, but not final-salary schemes or small pots of £1,000 or less.
However, the guidance does not specify if the plans apply to savers living abroad. Spain taxes such pensions in its own manner, and the UK-Spain tax treaty means the entire pot could be subject to Spanish income tax, negating the quarter tax-free allowance in Britain. The government's consultation on the Guided Retirement proposals closes on December 22, with collective schemes rules ending on December 15.
Savers should consult their pension provider and a cross-border tax adviser before making any moves, as the final rules and Spain's tax implications remain uncertain.
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