Talbot and Muir has changed its data capture process after HMRC ramped up its due diligence.

The SSAS provider said it had widened the scope of the initial data it captures at the outset.

The company said that HMRC had stepped up its due diligence on registration requests for the establishment of new SSAS over concerns that these arrangements have been used to facilitate pension liberation.

The firm stated its amendments are designed to make the process as straightforward as possible for advisers and their clients.

Paul Darvill, administration and technical director at Talbot and Muir, said: “Following HMRC’s decision to request a whole raft of additional information in respect of the establishing of a new SSAS, we have mirrored this within our administration service, by widening the scope of the initial data we capture at outset.

“While we cannot supply HMRC with all of this information when we make our initial online scheme registration request, we can be fairly certain that HMRC will write to us requesting this, and we are therefore then in a position to respond to HMRC with the required information without any further delays being experienced.

“Also, most importantly, it means that we don’t have to trouble the advisers and their clients further. This proves particularly useful when the establishing of a new SSAS is time sensitive, perhaps for the payment of contributions into the scheme prior to the sponsoring employer’s year end, as we are seeing at the moment.”

There are now 15 sets of information / data HMRC are typically requesting in order to consider the registration of a SSAS further, and just 2 of these are requested at the initial online stage of registration, Mr Darvill explained.