Finance Act 2004

“Enhanced protection”

12 (1) This paragraph applies on and after 6th April 2006 in the case of an individual who has one or more relevant existing arrangements if notice of intention to rely on it is given to the Inland Revenue in accordance with regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue.

(2) But this paragraph ceases to apply if—

(a) relevant benefit accrual occurs under the arrangement, or any of the arrangements (see paragraph 13),

(b) a transfer of sums or assets held for the purposes of, or representing accrued rights under, the arrangement or any of the arrangements is made that is not a permitted transfer, or

(c) an arrangement relating to the individual is made under a registered pension scheme otherwise than solely for the purposes of a permitted transfer.

(3) Where this paragraph applies in the case of an individual there is no liability to the lifetime allowance charge in respect of the individual.

(4) An individual has a relevant existing arrangement if—

(a) before 6th April 2006 an arrangement relating to the individual has been made under a pension scheme within paragraph 1(1), and

(b) the pension scheme becomes a registered pension scheme on that date.

(5) Notice of intention to rely on this paragraph in relation to the individual may not be given in a case where—

(a) the value of the uncrystallised rights of the individual on 5th April 2006 under an arrangement, or

(b) the aggregate of the values of the uncrystallised rights of the individual on 5th April 2006 under arrangements,

is arrived at in accordance with paragraph 9 unless such rights as, in accordance with regulations made by the Board of Inland Revenue, are to be treated as representing the relevant excess have been surrendered.

(6) In sub-paragraph (5) “the relevant excess” means the amount by which the value of—

(a) the individual’s uncrystallised rights, or

(b) the aggregate of the values of the individual’s uncrystallised rights,

as arrived at in accordance with paragraph 8 exceeds what it would be if arrived at under paragraph 9.

(7) For the purposes of this paragraph and paragraphs 13 and 15, a transfer of sums or assets held for the purposes of, or representing accrued rights under, an arrangement is a permitted transfer if—

(a) all sums and assets held for the purposes of, or representing rights under, the arrangements relating to the individual under the pension scheme under which the arrangement is made are transferred by the transfer,

(b) the sums or assets held for the purposes of, or representing accrued rights under, the arrangement are transferred so that sub-paragraph (8) applies in relation to them, and

(c) the aggregate of the amount of those sums and the market value of those assets is, applying normal actuarial practice, equivalent before and after the transfer.

(8) This sub-paragraph applies in relation to sums or assets held for the purposes of, or representing accrued rights under, the arrangement if—

(a) they are transferred so as to become held for the purposes of a money purchase arrangement that is not a cash balance arrangement, or two or more money purchase arrangements that are not cash balance arrangements, under a registered pension scheme or recognised overseas pension scheme, or

(b) where the transfer occurs in connection with the winding up of the pension scheme under which the arrangement is made and the arrangement is a cash balance arrangement or a defined benefits arrangement, they are transferred so as to become held for the purposes of, or to represent rights under, a cash balance arrangement or defined benefits arrangement relating to the same employment as the arrangement and made under a registered pension scheme or recognised overseas pension scheme.

(9) Where there is a permitted transfer—

(a) if the transfer is a permitted transfer by virtue of sub-paragraph (8)(a), this paragraph (and paragraphs 13 and 14) apply in relation to the arrangement, or each of the arrangements, to which the transfer is made, and

(b) if the transfer is a permitted transfer by virtue of sub-paragraph (8)(b), this paragraph (and paragraphs 13 and 15) apply as if the arrangement to which the transfer is made were the same as that from which it is made.