Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Don't fall for fake guarantees of bad QROPS advisers

By Matt Baker


One of the key frictions between qrops pension investors and the United Kingdom taxman is trying making an attempt to take cash out of a QROPS offshore allowance against the rules.

Some unscrupulous counsellors became wealthy setting up 'grey area ' QROPS and then leaving their customers with large financial penalties when their cash withdrawal method backfired.

HMRC has a backroom team of tax specialists and counsels brushing tax rules, treaties and agreements line-by-line to plug openings in the rules that some QROPS stockholders try to exploit.

The current further clause in the Finance Act is the latest example.

Loose wording in a double taxation agreement with Hong Kong could have let some UK resident qrops pension financiers transfer cash in to a QROPS, take the cash as money and then reinvest back in to England to gain additional tax subsidies.

QROPS rules say that any unauthorised withdrawal is penalised at a tax charge of 55% on the amount of the first fund transfer.

An unauthorised withdrawal includes taking too much money from a qrops pension transfers or drawing down cash before the scheme's retirement age.

Many QROPS backers don't realize that tax penalties are retrospective. Because the taxman doesn't chase someone that has damaged the guidelines for a year or two doesn't imply the action has gone unobserved.

HMRC has sent out a clear message that tries to enfeeble Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes rules will not be endured. Several schemes have closed and Singapore has lost standing as a tax jurisdiction.

Tax-busting QROPS offers may sound too good to be true with an eager adviser making the financial rewards sound out of this world.

That is probably because they are , and nave or unwary financiers won't find out the taxman wants his slice of the Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes pie long after the counsel has fled the scene with a wad of commission.

Hunting down the right guidance about a qrops pension transfers is essential.




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