The Blacktower Group obtains Cyprus licence

The importance of putting money into a pension cannot be understated, and the British government has a regulation in place – the pension tax relief scheme – to encourage people to save. But many experts are predicting significant changes to the scheme. If you’re planning to retire overseas as an expat and take advantage of international pension transfers, you’ll need to stay updated with these changes.

How does pension tax relief work?

The pension tax relief scheme is an incentive to entice people to put money into their pension pot. To reward people for thinking ahead to their retirement, the government currently tops up their pension contributions based on the rate at which they pay income tax. So, basic rate taxpayers will receive 20 per cent tax relief (meaning they only need to pay £80 into their pot to get £100), while higher rate taxpayers are entitled to 40 per cent relief.

John Westwood, Blacktower Financial Management’s Managing Director, founded the firm in 1986 after previously forging a career with Schroder Financial Management that saw him develop a reputation as one of the leading financial advisers in London.

In 1999, John founded Blacktower’s first European office, in Portugal’s Algarve region, and since then he has been instrumental in ensuring that the Blacktower group moves from strength to strength. However, despite his ongoing commitment to innovation, he continues to operate at the “coal face”, providing advice to many high-net-worth clients within the European and international markets.

In this week’s Blacktower View article, John reflects on the thirty-plus years he has spent working as a wealth manager and financial adviser, while also offering some useful advice for investors and business people alike that he would now give his younger self.