Section 207 | Authorised surplus payments charge

(1)A charge to income tax, to be known as the authorised surplus payments charge, arises where an authorised surplus payment is made to a sponsoring employer by an occupational pension scheme that is a registered pension scheme.

(2)The person liable to the authorised surplus payments charge is the scheme administrator.

(3)The scheme administrator is liable to the authorised surplus payments charge whether or not—

(a)the scheme administrator, and

(b)the sponsoring employer,

are resident ... ... in the United Kingdom.

(4)The rate of the charge is 25% in respect of the authorised surplus payment.

(5)The Treasury may by order increase or decrease the rate for the time being specified in subsection (4).

(6)Subsection (1) does not apply to any authorised surplus payment—

(a)to the extent that (if this section had not been enacted) the sponsoring employer would have been exempt, or entitled to claim exemption, from income tax or corporation tax in respect of it, or

(b)if the sponsoring employer is a charity.

(6A)Subsection (1) does not apply to an authorised surplus payment to the extent that the payment is funded (directly or indirectly) by a surrender of (or an agreement to surrender) benefits or rights which results in the registered pension scheme being treated as making an unauthorised payment under section 172A.

(6B)Terms used in subsection (6A) which are defined in section 172A have the same meaning as they have in that section.

(7)An authorised surplus payment in respect of which income tax is charged under this section is not to be treated as income for any purpose of the Tax Acts.

(8)Schedule 36 contains (in Part 4) transitional provisions about the authorised surplus payments charge.