Prudential sounds emergency tax warning on pension pot withdrawals

Carmen Reichman
clock

The majority of people accessing their pensions for the first time will be overpaying tax, particularly if they withdraw large sums of cash, Prudential head of business development Vince Smith-Hughes has warned.

People rushing to draw large chunks of money from their pension pots from April 6 will likely fall into the tax office's emergency tax code because providers will not yet have obtained their normal income tax codes, Smith-Hughes suggested. Under new pension rules people will be able to withdraw a quarter of their pension pots tax-free and the remaining three-quarters taxed as if it were income. Emergency tax is a temporary code that assumes the lump sum taken is a regular monthly income, hence it pushes people into higher tax brackets when calculating their presumed annual income. ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Income

The role of annuities: 'Placing the onus on savers to act autonomously is improvident'

The role of annuities: 'Placing the onus on savers to act autonomously is improvident'

'Savers have reacted positively to this so-called "flex-then-fix" approach'

Matthew Morris
clock 24 September 2025 • 3 min read
A refreshed conversation on retirement – the road to a rewarding later life

A refreshed conversation on retirement – the road to a rewarding later life

‘Retirement is not a once-and-done process’

Lorna Shah
clock 05 September 2025 • 4 min read
UK borrowing costs rise as gilt yields surge to near 27-year high

UK borrowing costs rise as gilt yields surge to near 27-year high

30-Year gilt yields rose to highs last seen in 1998 on Monday

Linus Uhlig
clock 19 August 2025 • 2 min read