Through QROPS, professionals can transfer their UK pension fund to a different country where they can settle down later after retirement. The pension scheme is good for those people who intend to escape the strict regime of tax in the United Kingdom government. One is also able to draw money from abroad whether you are a UK citizen or a foreign professional. QROPS pension plan has some benefits to you that can be put into different categories. Here is a critical look at some of the benefits of the pension scheme.
Tax benefits
Within the QROPS, the pension contribution and funds of a person are not subject to income tax and capital gains. The plan will allow you to make a withdrawal of up to 30 percent of the pension which is tax-free as opposed to the 25% maximum. Also, there is a set limit of the tax relief amount one receives before additional taxes. If the total pension of a person is more than the lifetime allowance, one can be taxed up to 55% on the excess. This rule is used in all the pension savings of the individual.
Retirement benefits
QROPS allows a person to retire earlier than one could in the UK with access to the pension fund. For instance, income may be taken at the age of 55 years, but the funds can be reached earlier, and that depends on different circumstances like ill health. There are other jurisdictions of QROPS that allow access of funds at the age of 50.
Inheritance benefits
Under these benefits, we can say that there are fewer restrictions as compared to the other plans. Once you transfer pension funds to QROPS, one can choose to select the beneficiaries. Specifically, this makes the transfer of the funds easy and quick. When a non-UK resident dies, and he has been paying tax for more than five full years, what remains from the QROPS fund may be paid to your family members that are free of the death taxes of UK. In some cases, it can happen that you don’t have a dependent or a spouse. Once you transfer your funds to QROPS, it will enable you to hand on a lump sum to a beneficiary of your choice.
Flexibility benefits
Here, we can talk about the freedom of investment which is different from traditional pensions and UK stakeholder pensions. The plan offers you the freedom to develop an investment portfolio for retirement which suits your criteria. Also, one can be free of the annuities which have some downsides. There is a tax on income as well as some annuities can’t be passed on after the death of a person. A transfer to QROPS maximizes the flexibility and portability for the holders and their families.