HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) set requirements on scheme administrators, insurance companies, members and employers to give information in certain circumstances. This guide explains what information has to be provided by whom, and when.
On this page:
As a scheme administrator, scheme employer, trustee or provider of administrative services to a registered pension scheme you must keep documents for six years that relate to:
More information about keeping records
Scheme administrators must automatically send the following information to HMRC when appropriate:
There are some events that occur in a pension scheme that must be reported to HMRC using an Event Report. You must send Event Reports to HMRC using the Pension Schemes Online Service, no later than 31 January after the end of the relevant tax year.
If you're reporting the winding up of the pension scheme the deadline date is three months from the date the scheme finishes winding up.
More on completing an Event Report
The scheme administrator is subject to tax charges when their scheme makes certain payments. Most of these tax charges must be reported and paid to HMRC using the AFT Return. This is a quarterly return that must be sent to HMRC, together with the tax due, as shown in the table below.
AFT Return submission and tax payment deadlines
| Period when tax arises | Deadline |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 March | 15 May |
| 1 April to 30 June | 14 August |
| 1 July to 30 September | 14 November |
| 1 October to 31 December | 14 February |
The AFT Return must be sent to HMRC using the Pension Schemes Online Service.
More about when and why you need to complete an AFT Return
The scheme administrator must report any borrowing by the pension scheme that doesn't meet the authorised borrowing conditions to HMRC using form APSS 303 Registered Pension Schemes Unauthorised Borrowing Report. The report must be made by 31 January following the end of the tax year in which the scheme borrowed the money.
Form APSS 303 Registered Pension Schemes Unauthorised Borrowing Report
More about the conditions for scheme borrowing
Where the transfer was requested after 5 April 2012 the scheme administrator must tell HMRC about it within 60 days of the transfer by submitting form APSS262.
Form APSS 262 Transferring UK tax-relieved pension assets
You must use the Pension Schemes Online Service to tell HMRC if you stop being the scheme administrator, within 30 days of the date you stopped.
HMRC may send a notice to file letter to the scheme administrator telling them to complete a PSR. They must complete and submit the PSR using the Pension Schemes Online Service by the date shown on the letter.
More about when and why you need to complete a PSR
HMRC will send the pension scheme trustees a notice to file an SA970 tax return if they've reclaimed tax deducted from investment income. The scheme trustees must also complete this tax return if they have any taxable income. This return is only available in paper format and must be submitted by 31 January following the end of the relevant tax year.
More about tax returns for trustees of registered pension schemes
You should tell HMRC about any changes to the scheme details or the scheme administrator. You can do this using the Pension Schemes Online Service or by submitting a paper form.
Find form APSS 152 Amend Scheme Details
Find form APSS 153 Change of Scheme Administrator/Practitioner User Details
Scheme administrators must give members the following information:
More about annual allowance and lifetime allowance statements
Technical guidance on information requirements for unauthorised payments
If a member transfers a pension in payment to another pension scheme, the transferring scheme administrator must give the new scheme administrator details of the amount of lifetime allowance used up when that pension first started. They must do this within three months of the transfer.
A scheme administrator must give information to an insurance company in the following situations:
They must give details of the amount of lifetime allowance used up by the pension (and any tax free lump sum) when the pension first started. This must be done within three months of the purchase of the annuity.
If the member has lifetime allowance protection they'll need to give their scheme administrator the reference number of their protection certificate. This will allow the scheme administrator to calculate and pay the correct amount of lifetime allowance charge.
The member must give the scheme administrator either of the following within 60 days if asked:
If a member wants to transfer their pension pot to a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme (QROPS) they must give certain information to their scheme administrator - more in the link below.
Transferring your pension savings into an overseas pension scheme
The scheme administrator must tell the member's personal representative if the scheme pays a lump sum death benefit that is tested against the lifetime allowance.
If asked, a scheme administrator or insurance company must give information to a legal personal representative about the amount of lifetime allowance used up by a pension or lump sum payment within two months of a request.
If the member's total pension savings are more than the lifetime allowance the member's personal representative must tell HMRC.
Find out more about the information requirements for the annual allowance using the link below.
Understanding the lifetime allowance for pension schemes
