What is a salary sacrifice pension? A guide for employers

The authorities is keen to inspire persons to help save into non-public pension pots.

Simply because of this, some generous tax breaks are readily available. 1 of these, known as wage sacrifice, can even gain the employer.

In this write-up, we acquire a search at income sacrifice pensions and how they perform, and answer a sequence of queries you may well have about them.

Here’s what we cover:

What is a wage sacrifice pension?

Income sacrifice is a way of notionally reducing a wage to pay back for advantages provided by an employer.

These advantages are appealing to an personnel, these types of as having to pay for an electrical motor vehicle, or making use of the Cycle to Perform plan to use a bicycle.

Occasionally these are referred to as benefits-in-sort, or BIK. Some BIKs are taxed, but other folks aren’t.

Wage sacrifice can also be applied for employee pension payments, and is not taxed.

To have an understanding of the gains, we initially have to focus on the present way staff members generally pay back into their pensions.

Tax aid is already readily available on particular pension contributions. To make it straightforward, many employers provide a web spend arrangement.

This implies the pension contribution is taken from the salary prior to tax is calculated, and so fewer tax is deducted from the pay. As a final result, the personnel receives tax reduction on the pension contributions devoid of obtaining to do anything at all.

Income sacrifice pension contributions are an alternate to the web fork out arrangement that typically will work out far better for equally worker and employer.

It is also acknowledged as salary trade, and, less commonly, Clever (Help you save Much more and Lower Tax).

With wage sacrifice pension contributions, a new contractual income is agreed by reducing the unique income by the volume the employee needs to make as a pension contribution.

In trade, the employer pays the very same price as employer pension contributions on top rated of any present employer pension contributions (e.g. a minimum of 3% as for every vehicle-enrolment regulations).

Due to the fact their income is now effectively reduced, employees not only probably cut down the tax they pay—just like with the web fork out arrangement—but also decrease their Class 1 Nationwide Insurance policies contribution (NIC) payments (and, as of 2023/24, payments for the Wellness and Social Treatment Levy).

The personnel can use the diminished NICs to fund an elevated pension payment, or minimize the cost of contributing overall.

Possibly way, it’s usually more helpful than utilizing the internet spend arrangement, or the option relief at supply arrangement.

Simply because employers also spend a separate Class 1 NIC (and Overall health and Social Care Levy contributions as of 2023/24), this is also reduced.

This conserving is instant, with no need to declare it back again at a upcoming date.

On payslips, it can seem as if the employer has produced a person much larger contribution, with the worker seemingly having contributed absolutely nothing.

Of course, this is not in fact the case.

How does a wage sacrifice pension do the job?

There’s at least four levels concerned in making use of wage sacrifice pension contributions.

1. How possible is a income sacrifice pension?

Producing income sacrifice pension contributions is not suited for everyone.

It simply cannot cut down the employee’s spend beneath the National Minimum Wage (NMW), regardless of what the employee may ask for.

Other typical or irregular deductions also require to be taken into account at this level to make sure that they moreover the income sacrifice do not ever get the wage under this legal need.

Paying out fewer than the NMW can get an employer in considerable authorized hassle.

Consequently, this is some thing businesses will will need to frequently check if an personnel works by using salary sacrifice (even though this can be folded into ongoing payroll duties checking car-enrolment pension conditions, these kinds of as irrespective of whether younger or reduce-earning staff members become suitable).

2. Conclusions for wage sacrifice pensions

Next, the staff should be in settlement that salary sacrifice should be applied and that it does not have an affect on any statutory payments (see ‘Disadvantages for employees’, under).

Income sacrifice pension contributions can not be unilaterally imposed by employers, though they could default to this sort of a technique and check with the staff if they agree. This can be performed throughout present discussions about pension automobile-enrolment.

If the worker disagrees (or simply just opts out of the pension scheme) then it should be possible to operate without the need of wage sacrifice deductions.

If the employee agrees to wage sacrifice, they’ll also want to make a decision what percentage of their salary to give up as income sacrifice (e.g 5%, 10%).

This may include them calculating how considerably their gross shell out will be lowered, and for that reason how significantly they’ll preserve via reduce money tax and NICs.

The employer will have to choose if they are likely to pass any discounts they acquire with regard to decreased employer NICs (and Wellbeing and Social Treatment Levy as of April 2023) to the employee’s pension contributions.

Some businesses glance to pass on savings they could make soon after scheme expenditures, but it isn’t necessary.

3. Adjusting the work contract for a wage sacrifice pension

Thirdly, any present employment agreement requirements to be modified to point out that the staff is in receipt of the advantage that is wage sacrifice pension benefit.

Typically, this is performed by incorporating a clause to the employment deal, which is communicated to workforce when they indicator up for salary sacrifice, but companies really should find legal information on the wording.

It is truly worth noting that HMRC doesn’t generally make it possible for employees to change in and out of wage sacrifice additional than as soon as in a 12-thirty day period interval until there’s a big daily life celebration, these as marriage, divorce, birth of a boy or girl, and so on.

If you are unsure, examine with HMRC’s guidelines and guidelines.

4. Applying income sacrifice weekly/regular in payroll software

Last but not least, the payroll software must be configured so that the salary sacrifice is used.

Not all payroll software package is compatible with income sacrifice, so companies should look at with the software package seller.

Sage Payroll can be used for income sacrifice pension contributions.

If salary sacrifice pension contributions have not been undertaken right before, this will almost certainly involve creating a new payment/deduction for wage sacrifice.

This will then be utilized in the pensions setup space, with the two the employer and staff contributions specified.

Then, through payroll, a new salary sacrifice line will surface for the employee, with the calculations mechanically used to the net income amounts.

Advantages of a salary sacrifice pension

All people enjoys conserving on tax and Countrywide Insurance coverage contributions in a way that is not only lawful but inspired.

HMRC didn’t touch the income sacrifice pension arrangement when it clamped down in 2017 on tax reduction for other types of wage sacrifice (e.g. added benefits-in-variety strategies this kind of as minimal-emission automobiles).

That is as favourable a thumbs-up as you’ll get.

In this article are the particular rewards for employees and employers.

Rewards for staff

Staff get to raise their pensions by way of clever efficiencies in a way that is more effective when compared to alternatives.

Or they get to choose home a lot more pay.

For these spending into a pension later on in life, when their earnings may perhaps be bigger, income sacrifice pension contributions offer a great way to make up for dropped ground or lousy pension general performance by producing bigger payments with no lowering acquire-property fork out.

It’s also attainable for personnel to add a salary sacrifice reward or extra income payments.

Again, those shelling out into a pension afterwards in lifestyle typically place significantly or all of any yearly bonus straight into their pension to prevent spending tax on it, or to steer clear of pushing their income into a bigger tax bracket.

To stay on the appropriate side of the regulation with regard to when a reward is considered to be been given, a selection have to be built for the sacrifice of the bonus effectively in advance of time.

In apply, it’s commonly finished right before the entitlement to the reward is exposed.

Gains for employers

Businesses probably get to preserve important quantities on income payments if they retain the NIC discounts for them selves.

Furthermore, pension contributions are an allowable tax deduction.

So with correctly greater employer contributions, companies could save below as well (whilst advice need to be sought from a tax skilled).

But businesses have to have to glimpse at the more substantial photograph.

Workers are progressively informed of income sacrifice, so companies that never provide it are at a probable competitive drawback when it arrives to recruitment.

If the employer agrees to move on their Class 1 NIC cost savings to the employee’s pension contributions then this can type a further remarkably interesting recruitment aspect.

Once all over again, the personnel gets to enhance their contributions with no reduction of earnings.

This will come at no additional outlay for the employer compared to a non-wage-sacrifice arrangement.

Negatives of a salary sacrifice pension

As tempting as they are, it’s erroneous to feel that wage sacrifice pension contributions are without concerns.

And that is one thing that should really be viewed as in advance of time.

Here’s what you require to be conscious of.

Negatives for employees

Workforce need to get treatment that income sacrifice does not carry their income below the lessen earnings limit (£6,396 per 12 months in 2022/23).

If that takes place, it signifies they reduce long term entitlement to the likes of statutory sick shell out, maternity spend, paternity pay back, incapacity profit, and more.

In addition, mainly because the contractual earnings are now decreased, the amount of borrowing the worker may possibly be equipped to accessibility could be reduced.

This can impression mortgages in distinct. The likes of lifetime assurance can also be afflicted when they are set at a various of the contractual income.

Negatives for employers

Companies deal with a likely bigger administrative burden close to setting up wage sacrifice techniques and then preserving them.

Having said that, it is achievable to argue that this really should be regarded as as section and parcel of any current perform executed for automobile-enrolment pensions.

Notably, HMRC does not normally choose an fascination in income sacrifice pension arrangements by employers, but it is wise to continue to keep any documentation just in scenario.

Numerous enterprises taking into consideration salary sacrifice talk about it via the HMRC helpline first, or get other experienced direction to make certain compliance.

The admin duties for companies include at least the subsequent:

• Educating workers about the risk of wage sacrifice. This includes the negatives mentioned previously mentioned (even though this can result in a win-win for equally companies and employees if the latter agree to a salary sacrifice pension). However, your pension provider may have sources you can deploy.
• Delivering a way to choose in or out, such as on line, or by completing a paper kind. On line sorts typically have a wage and pensions calculator to assistance staff make the finest decision. When opting out, it ought to be designed distinct that this is opting in or out of wage sacrifice pension contributions and NOT car-enrolment (even though opting out of automobile-enrolment immediately indicates providing up wage sacrifice, of study course).
• Applying a right employment contract clause for workforce that choose in. Ensuring that it is issued to employees, that they sign it by way of arrangement and authorisation, and that this arrangement is retained securely along with other payroll document preserving.
• Checking worker wages that utilise wage sacrifice. This is to be certain the wage doesn’t slide down below National Dwelling Wage or Countrywide Minimum amount Wage levels (despite the fact that payroll computer software might help with this and make this activity easier).

Case in point of how a wage sacrifice pension operates

Jane Smith earns £25,000 a calendar year.

Her employer operates a primary auto-enrolment pension plan exactly where it contributes the bare minimum 3% employer contribution, even though all its personnel lead 5% employing the internet pay back process.

Utilizing HMRC’s Class 1 NIC payroll checker calculator, we can see that prior to income sacrifice, the regular monthly Course 1 NICs are as follows:

• Employer NICs: £199.46
• Staff NICs: £166.99

Pursuing salary sacrifice of 5% of her earnings, and with Jane now contractually earning £23,750 a year, the regular NICs are lessened as follows:

• Employer NICs: £183.78 (preserving £15.68 for each thirty day period)
• Personnel NICs: £153.19 (preserving £13.80 for each thirty day period)

Income sacrifice pension FAQs

Listed here are the responses to regularly questioned queries about income sacrifice in practice:

How considerably ought to your personnel sacrifice for their pensions?

The automobile-enrolment bare minimum of 5% worker contribution should continue on to be observed.

Most employees sacrifice between 5% to 15%, relying on their circumstances and prerequisites with regard to pension cost savings.

What’s the restrict to a salary sacrifice pension?

There is no limits on the highest that can be sacrificed.

Although to retain tax relief, contributions cannot exceed £40,000 every single 12 months for most persons.

Can staff choose out of a income sacrifice pension?

Income must be a voluntary arrangement between employer and staff.

As soon as underway, personnel can opt-out, though HMRC may perhaps penalise the employer if this transpires far more than once in a 12-month period except if the personnel has a fantastic motive.

These incorporate childbirth, redundancy of the individual’s husband or wife, and other lifetime-altering activities.

Final thoughts on income sacrifice pensions

Wage sacrifice pension contributions present a large amount for most people concerned, with extremely couple downsides.

No matter if it’s correct for you and your personnel is a choice that you are going to will need to make, potentially by talking about it with HMRC very first, or obtaining other specialist assistance.

These discussions ought to also assistance guarantee compliance with laws.

Nonetheless, provided the limits talked about earlier mentioned are observed, and assuming employers can spare the administrative ability to deploy it, the two personnel and businesses stand to achieve without having there staying any pain.