Which pension schemes qualify for 7.5% tax in France?

Hello,
My British partner asked for one of his pension pots to be paid in a lump sum last year. We are PACSed and I now have to declare that to the French taxman. How do I know whether it qualifies for the 7.5% tax rate? The explanation on the French tax website isn’t particularly clear (“les cotisations versées pendant la phase de constitution des droits, y compris le cas échéant par l’employeur, étaient déductibles du revenu imposable.”). My partner’s pension plan was a SERPS that was contracted out. Does anyone know whether that qualifies?
Also, although he is now a tax resident in France, he has never worked in France and never contributed to social security (he is my “ayant droit”). Does he have to pay the extra 7.5% in social charges too? How is that paid - through income tax?
Would be very grateful for any help on that!
MR

Welcome to our Forum. I’m sure someone will chime in with useful information.

Please will you amend your Registration to show your First Name and Last Name as per our Terms & Conditions…

cheers

Hi - thanks for your message, but that doesn’t really answer my question: I have to declare this pension’s lump sum on my income tax declaration this year. But there are several options: have it taxed at 7.5% or declare it over four years. To qualify for the 7.5% tax rate, as per the French tax code, I need to know whether his contributions for his SERPS British pension scheme were deductible from his taxable income in the UK. Anyone knows?

Done, thanks.

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Michel… your Partner should know whether or not he received a Tax Allowance against his payments into SERPS… he will have received paperwork advising him what was going on… :upside_down_face: and if he cannot find paperwork… he will need to contact the UK Tax Offices and ask them…

And, I think he can make his own declaration in France… and you make your own… ie: you don’t HAVE to make a combined declaration … :thinking:

Hi Stella,

I appreciate you taking the time to reply, but the reason why I signed up to this website is precisely because my partner doesn’t know whether he received tax allowance or not :slight_smile: It was more than 10 years ago, we have moved houses 5 times since and he cannot find the relevant paperwork. I know I can contact the tax office, but figured it’d be quicker to ask British expats who had the same type of pension scheme, since the deadline for tax declaration is approaching… Also, I know we don’t have to make a combined declaration, but we have decided to do it.

Cheers,

Michel

Envoyé de mon iPhone

Immigrants actually…:slight_smile:

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Hi Michel… that explains a lot… oh dear…:roll_eyes:

~Trouble is, we each give advice according to the personal experiences we have had… and it may not always be pertinent to someone else… depending on the individual’s situation…

I suggest you contact @Brian_Furzer … I reckon he will know something about the Pension situation… and how it was back in those days …:wink: simply click on his link and send him a message…

Cheers

:relaxed:

Thanks much Stella, will send Brian a message. Cheers

Exiles, even :wink:

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Only if you’ve been very bad…:wink::thinking:

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SERPS is State Earnings Related Pension Scheme and contributions to it were paid via National Insurance but there was no tax relief. If he had an occupational pension through an employer he was probably contracted OUT of SERPS and paid a lower rate of NI, or maybe he had a PERSONAL pension. Perhaps the first thing is to establish what type of pension it is.


Thanks much for the links @Poppyfields. He did contract OUT of SERPS which was operated by his private sector employer, that’s why it’s so hard to figure out whether he got tax relief. I’ll have a look at these links you sent to try and understand all these subtle differencies…