Endless speculation about potential Autumn Budget tax hikes is always going to prompt people to do what they can to protect their finances.
While there are some eminently sensible steps worth considering ahead of the budget, there are others that could backfire.
This isn’t personal advice. ISA, pension and tax rules can change, and their benefits depend on your circumstances. If you’re not sure what’s right for you, ask for financial advice.
Remember, all investments and any income they produce can rise and fall in value, so you could get back less than you invest. You also can’t take money out of a pension until you’re 55 (rising to 57 in 2028).
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Taking tax free cash out of your pension
Amid rumours that the chancellor might tinker with the amount of tax-free cash people can take from their pension, you might be tempted to take what you can now, if you’re 55 or over.
However, this can come with a number of serious downsides.
If you withdraw the cash and put it in a savings account, you’ll miss out on the potential for further investment growth in future. And unless you withdraw £20,000 or less and put it in an ISA, you could expose this money to tax.
Then there’s inheritance tax (IHT).
Under current rules, you don’t normally pay IHT on money in a pension. So, taking more tax-free cash than you need could land your family with a nasty tax bill in future.
Taking income you don’t need out of your pension
Taking an income earlier than you need it, because you’re worried about tax, could trigger the money purchase annual allowance. That would then slash the amount you can pay into a pension from as much as £60,000 per year to just £10,000.
Realising too many capital gains now
If you’re worried about potential capital gains tax (CGT) changes, you might be considering realising gains beyond your £3,000 annual allowance right now, just in case the rate rises.
However, you would be giving up the opportunity to realise gains gradually, within your annual allowance, and pay no tax at all.
You might find that the CGT rate doesn’t rise in the way you expect, so you’ll have paid the extra tax for nothing.
Giving money away you can’t afford
Giving money away during your lifetime gives your family a chance to make the most of it at the time that suits them best, while you’re still around to see them appreciate it.
It also comes with IHT benefits, because the first £3,000 a year falls outside your estate immediately, and any larger gifts are out of your estate for IHT after seven years.
However, this doesn’t mean you should give away money you might need later. Some people will dip into their pension and damage their income prospects. Others might give away savings they end up needing as they get older.
These potential traps don’t mean you can’t take sensible steps ahead of the Autumn Budget.
There are key allowances you could use to move money into more tax-efficient places if they’re right choices for you.
You can make a pension contribution into a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), pay into an ISA, or think about a Junior ISA for a child.
If you have investments outside ISAs and pensions, you can use Share Exchange (Bed & ISA) and take advantage of your annual capital gains tax allowance on any share gains.
If you have shares in an HL Fund and Share account, you can use the Share Exchange (Bed & ISA) process to sell them outside an ISA, move the cash into the ISA wrapper and buy back the same shares again, all in one instruction. You have to stick to your overall £20,000 ISA allowance though.
But when your investments are in an ISA, you won’t have to worry about UK dividend tax or CGT.
Also, don’t forget about your £3,000 CGT allowance when you’re selling investments to move into an ISA.
The key is to focus on those things you can do that you’ll be grateful for in the long run – no matter what happens to taxes in the Autumn Budget – rather than panicking and rushing into something you come to regret.
If you think you could benefit from getting expert financial advice from a professional, get in touch with our advisory team today. You won't get personal advice on the call, but they'll talk you through the advice service we offer, including charges and connect you with an adviser if you'd like to go ahead.
Our advisers can recommend how you can make the most of your tax allowances through financial planning. But if you need complex tax calculations, your adviser might recommend you speak to an accountant to complement their advice.
