Part 9

Pension income
Chapter 17

Exemptions: any taxpayer

Non-registered schemes: beneficiaries' annuities from unused funds
646D
1
The charge to tax under this Part does not apply to an annuity payable to a person if—
a
it is paid in respect of a deceased member of an overseas pension scheme, or relevant non-UK scheme, who had not reached the age of 75 at the date of the member's death,
b
it would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme and if “insurance company” in Part 4 of FA 2004 had the meaning given by subsection (8), be a dependants' annuity or nominees' annuity,
c
the member died on or after 3 December 2014,
d
either—
i
the annuity was purchased using sums or assets that would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme, be unused drawdown funds or unused uncrystallised funds, or
ii
the annuity was purchased using sums or assets transferred to an insurance company by another insurance company in consequence of an annuity—
a
that was payable to the person by that other insurance company,
b
that was purchased as mentioned in sub-paragraph (i) or this sub-paragraph, and
c
that would have been a dependants' annuity or nominees' annuity (as the case may be) if the scheme had been a registered pension scheme,
ceasing to be payable,
e
no payment of the annuity is made before 6 April 2015, and
f
in a case where the annuity is purchased as mentioned in paragraph (d)(ii), no payment is made before 6 April 2015 of—
i
the prior annuity purchased as mentioned in paragraph (d)(i), and
ii
any other annuity purchased as mentioned in paragraph (d)(ii) that is in the chain of annuities beginning with that prior annuity and ending with the annuity.
2
The charge to tax under this Part does not apply to an annuity payable to a person if—
a
it is paid in respect of a deceased member of an overseas pension scheme or relevant non-UK scheme,
b
it is paid on the subsequent death of an individual who would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme, be a dependant, nominee or successor of the member (“
the beneficiary
”),
c
it would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme and if “insurance company” in Part 4 of FA 2004 had the meaning given by subsection (8), be a successors' annuity,
d
the beneficiary had not reached the age of 75 at the date of the beneficiary's death,
e
the beneficiary died on or after 3 December 2014,
f
either—
i
the annuity was purchased using sums or assets that would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme, be undrawn funds, or
ii
the annuity was purchased using sums or assets transferred to an insurance company by another insurance company in consequence of an annuity—
a
that was payable to the person by that other insurance company,
b
that was purchased as mentioned in sub-paragraph (i) or this sub-paragraph, and
c
that would have been a successors' annuity if the scheme had been a registered pension scheme and if “insurance company” in Part 4 of FA 2004 had the meaning given by subsection (8),
ceasing to be payable,
g
no payment of the annuity is made before 6 April 2015, and
h
in a case where the annuity is purchased as mentioned in paragraph (f)(ii), no payment is made before 6 April 2015 of—
i
the prior annuity purchased as mentioned in paragraph (f)(i), and
ii
any other annuity purchased as mentioned in paragraph (f)(ii) that is in the chain of annuities beginning with that prior annuity and ending with the annuity.
3
The charge to tax under this Part does not apply to an annuity payable to a person if—
a
it is paid in respect of a deceased member of an overseas pension scheme, or relevant non-UK scheme, who had not reached the age of 75 at the date of the member's death,
b
it would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme and if “insurance company” in Part 4 of FA 2004 had the meaning given by subsection (8), be a dependants' annuity payable to a dependant of the member or a nominees' annuity payable to a nominee of the member,
c
the member died on or after 3 December 2014,
d
the annuity—
i
was purchased together with an annuity payable to the member that would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme and if “insurance company” in Part 4 of FA 2004 had the meaning given by subsection (8), have been a lifetime annuity, or
ii
was purchased using sums or assets transferred to an insurance company by another insurance company in consequence of an annuity—
a
that was payable to the person by that other insurance company, and
b
that would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme and if “insurance company” in Part 4 of FA 2004 had the meaning given by subsection (8), have been a dependants' annuity or nominees' annuity (as the case may be) purchased as mentioned in sub-paragraph (i) or this sub-paragraph,
ceasing to be payable,
e
no payment of the annuity is made before 6 April 2015, and
f
in a case where the annuity is purchased as mentioned in paragraph (d)(ii), no payment is made before 6 April 2015 of—
i
the prior annuity purchased as mentioned in paragraph (d)(i), and
ii
any other annuity purchased as mentioned in paragraph (d)(ii) that is in the chain of annuities beginning with that prior annuity and ending with the annuity.
4
The charge to tax under this Part does not apply to payments to a person of an annuity if—
a
either—
i
a member of an overseas pension scheme, or relevant non-UK scheme, was entitled to be paid the annuity immediately before the member's death, or
ii
the annuity was purchased using sums or assets transferred to an insurance company by another insurance company in consequence of an annuity to which there was entitlement as mentioned in sub-paragraph (i), or which was purchased as mentioned in this sub-paragraph, ceasing to be payable,
b
the payments would, if the scheme were a registered pension scheme and if “insurance company” in Part 4 of FA 2004 had the meaning given by subsection (8), be—
i
payments of a lifetime annuity, and
ii
payable to the person under pension rule 2 (see section 165 of FA 2004),
c
the member had not reached the age of 75 at the date of the member's death,
d
the member died on or after 3 December 2014,
e
any payment of the annuity made before 6 April 2015 is made to the member, and
f
in a case where the annuity is one purchased as mentioned in paragraph (a)(ii), any payment made before 6 April 2015—
i
of the prior annuity to which there is entitlement as mentioned in paragraph (a)(i), or
ii
of any other annuity purchased as mentioned in paragraph (a)(ii) that is in the chain of annuities beginning with that prior annuity and ending with the annuity,
is made to the member.
5
Paragraph 27E(3) to (5) of Schedule 28 to FA 2004 (meaning of “
unused drawdown funds
” and “
unused uncrystallised funds
”) apply for the purposes of subsection (1).
6
Paragraph 27FA(2) of Schedule 28 to FA 2004 (meaning of “undrawn funds”) applies for the purposes of subsection (2)(f).
7
For the purposes of subsection (3)(d), an annuity is purchased together with another if they are purchased—
a
in the form of a joint life annuity, or
b
separately in circumstances in which the day on which the one is purchased is no earlier than seven days before, and no later than seven days after, the day on which the other is purchased.
8
In this section “
insurance company
” means—
a
an insurance company as defined by section 275 of FA 2004, or
b
a person—
i
whose normal business includes the activity of providing annuities,
ii
who carries on that activity in a country or territory outside the United Kingdom, and
iii
whose carrying on of that activity in any particular country or territory outside the United Kingdom—
a
is regulated in that country or territory, or
b
is lawful under the law of that country or territory because it is regulated in another country or territory,
and for this purpose an activity is regulated in a country or territory if it is regulated by the government of that country or territory or by a body established under the law of that country or territory for the purpose of regulating the carrying-on of the activity.
Pt. 9 excluded by 2004 c. 12, Sch. 36 para. 45A(1) (as inserted (26.3.2015) by Finance Act 2015 (c. 11), Sch. 4 para. 19)
Pt. 9: power to amend conferred (17.12.2014) by Taxation of Pensions Act 2014 (c. 30), s. 4(3)
Pt. 9 modified (31.10.2023) by The Registered Pension Schemes (Authorised Member Payments) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1012), regs. 1, 4
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)
Pt. 9 modified (6.4.2023) by The Public Service Pension Schemes (Rectification of Unlawful Discrimination) (Tax) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/113), regs. 1(2), 23(2), 24(2), 26(2), 28(2) (with reg. 1(3))
Pt. 9 modified (14.9.2023) by The Public Service Pension Schemes (Rectification of Unlawful Discrimination) (Tax) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/912), regs. 1(2), 9(2), 11(2), 16(2) (with reg. 1(3))
Pt. 9 modified (18.11.2024 for the tax year 2024-25 and subsequent tax years) by S.I. 2009/1171, reg. 5ZA (as inserted by The Pensions (Abolition of Lifetime Allowance Charge etc) (No. 3) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/1167), regs. 1(2)(3), 5(3) (with reg. 6))
Pt. 9 modified (13.2.2025 with effect in relation to the tax year 2024-25 and subsequent tax years) by The MPs’, Senedd and Assembly Pension Schemes (Tax) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/52), regs. 1(2)(3), 4, 6, 7