Charitable giving has always had a place in estate planning conversations, but with pensions coming into the inheritance tax net from April 2027, it’s moved up the agenda. 

In his final regular column for SIPPs Professional, pensions expert Martin Tilley looks at why understanding trust law matters as much as understanding pension administration when it comes to successful SSAS trusteeship, a topic he feels is vitally important to the future of the sector. We're pleased to say Martin may contribute occasional columns in future.

For the last 20 years, the post A-Day regime has trusted SSAS members to combine three separate legal identities as pension beneficiary, trustee and business owner. Those changes preserved one of the greatest attractions of a SSAS in the form of member control, but also removed the compulsory pensioneer trustee role that existed before 6 April 2006.

As we head towards our new Downing Street leadership team’s first Budget, the waters seem relatively calm.

With the impending changes to tax treatment of pensions on death, there has been talk around the order of income in retirement being turned on its head.