This Thinkpiece on pensions taxation was published by The Chartered Insurance Institute on 21 October 2015.

Much of the pensions debate over the past year has centred around the introduction of pensions freedoms and its aftermath. However, the new government’s Green Paper on pensions taxation has the potential to be equally seismic in its consequences. As this Thinkpiece makes clear, some of the options being debated could radically shape the way the pensions – or more accurately the long term savings market – develops. This is because the debate goes to the heart of the tax incentives that are at the heart of how the public have been encouraged to save for retirement. What should be the level of incentives and when should they be applied, and for whom? Is this debate solely about the best public policy outcomes or is it in danger of being engulfed by deficit reduction requirements? This Thinkpiece provides a distinctive view on some of the big calls which may arise from this Green Paper – which may have major ramifications for the industry and the wider public in the years ahead.