IHTM17044 | Pensions: IHT charges: contributions to another person’s pension scheme
From HM Revenue & Customs · Inheritance Tax Manual
There may be a transfer of value if a contribution is made to a pension scheme which provides or will provide benefits for people other than the transferor. It is effectively a lifetime gift and will be exempt or chargeable in the same way as any other gift (). The situations where such a contribution is not chargeable are, most commonly, where:
the pension scheme is for the benefit of the spouse or civil partner of the transferor ().
the transfer falls within the normal expenditure out of income exemption in ().
it is excluded from being a transfer of value () because it is a contribution by an employer in respect of an employee under
a registered pension scheme (),
a qualifying non-UK pension scheme (), or
a section 615(3) scheme ().