Guidance

Managing pension schemes service newsletter – April 2020

Published 1 April 2020

1. Accounting for Tax return launched on the Managing pension schemes service

Today we’ve launched the Accounting for Tax (AFT) return on the Managing pension schemes service. This means that from 1 April 2020, if your pension scheme was registered through the Managing pension schemes service, you can start to compile AFT returns on the service for the quarter 1 April – 30 June 2020.

Compiling an AFT return on the Managing pension schemes service

You can now start to compile your AFT return and save your progress. You’ll have to complete all details for a charge or a member’s charge before you can save the information for that member. Once you’ve entered all the details for a member, the ‘check your answers’ page will give you the option to ‘save this charge and continue’. You can amend an AFT return that you or another scheme administrator for that scheme has compiled and saved.

Once you’ve entered and saved the first set of details for a charge on an AFT return, you’ll be able to view this on the pension scheme record.

If you save a compiled return that you no longer need to submit, you can use the ‘remove’ option to remove members and charges, or reduce the charge values to zero.

You’ll also be able to search using a member’s name or National Insurance number to see the information you have entered about that member.

If multiple users compile the AFT return

If you try to access an AFT return that another user has accessed at the same time, you’ll be locked from adding anything to the return. You’ll be able to see the name of the pension scheme administrator (individual or company) who the return is currently locked to, and the details of the AFT return. However, if you’re logging in under a pension scheme administrator ID with multiple administrator or assistant users, the service will not tell you which user under that administrator ID has the AFT return locked.

You’ll be unable to access the AFT return until the other user has exited the service, or it has timed out due to inactivity for over 15 minutes.

You should also try to avoid logging into the AFT return using the same user ID and password as another user for your pension scheme administrator ID. If you do so, and more than one user logs in under the same credentials it may result in the loss of compiled Accounting for Tax data.

Submitting your AFT return

You’ll only be able to submit your AFT return for a quarter, once that quarter has ended. So, although you’ll be able to compile and save your AFT return from 1 April 2020, you’ll only be able to submit your AFT from 1 July 2020.

Once you’ve successfully submitted your AFT return, you’ll see a confirmation screen on the service that you can print out for your records. You’ll also receive an email confirming your submission.

Viewing and searching a submitted AFT return

Once you’ve submitted an Accounting for Tax return, you’ll be able to view this on your pension scheme record.

On the Managing pension schemes service you’ll be able to see each quarter that you’ve submitted an AFT return for, and you can select the quarter you want to view. You’ll then see a list of all versions of the AFT return that you submitted for that quarter. Once you’re in your chosen version of the return, you’ll also be able to search using a member’s name or National Insurance number to see the information you submitted regarding that member.

Amending an AFT return

From 1 July 2020, you’ll be able to make amendments to an AFT return that you’ve submitted. This will save as a new version of the AFT return for that quarter, on the scheme record. You’ll only ever be able to amend the latest version you submitted.

Each time you submit an amendment to an AFT return that increases the amount due to HMRC, you’ll get a new charge reference. But if the amendment you make leads to a decrease in the overall charge for that AFT return, you will not need a charge reference for the amendment.

You’ll also be able to amend details that do not lead to a change in the overall return charge value, for example if you entered a member’s details incorrectly.

Making AFT payments

As previously mentioned, your submission successful page will not include a charge reference. Initially when you make payment, you can either make a payment quoting the scheme’s Pension Scheme Tax reference (PSTR) or email us for a charge reference and put ‘AFT – charge reference’ in the subject line of your email to: pensions.administration@hmrc.gov.uk.

You’ll be able to view your charge reference for an AFT return through the service, later in the year.

Submitting historic AFT returns

If your pension scheme was registered through the Managing pension schemes service, the earliest AFT return that you’ll be able to compile using the service is for the quarter 1 April – 30 June 2020.

If you need to file an earlier AFT return for a scheme with a PSTR beginning with ‘2’, you should email us and put ‘AFT – Managing pension schemes’ in the subject line of your email to: pensions.administration@hmrc.gov.uk.

Submitting AFT returns for schemes on the Pension Schemes online service

If your pension scheme has a PSTR beginning with ‘0’ you must continue to file your AFT return using the Pension Schemes Online Service.

Practitioners submitting AFT returns on behalf of pension scheme administrators

If you need to file an AFT return, on behalf of a scheme administrator, for a scheme beginning with a ‘2’ you must email details of what you want to report to: pensions.administration@hmrc.gov.uk.

However, before you do this, the scheme administrator will need to authorise you by completing an APSS150 and submitting it to HMRC.

If you’re filing reports for schemes beginning with a ‘0’ you can continue to do this on the Pension Schemes Online service.

2. Updated Phase 2 timeline

As we’ve previously explained, we’ll be delivering Phase 2 over a number of IT releases and in the Managing pension schemes service newsletter – January 2020 we provided you with the order that we planned to deliver features on the service in, but we explained that this order may change.

We’ve revisited our delivery timetable and updated this. We plan to deliver in the following order.

Financial information for schemes and scheme administrators

You’ll be able to view financial information both for your schemes and for you as pension scheme administrator through the Managing pension schemess service, later in the year.

Event reporting and practitioner features

We’re currently planning to deliver event reporting and practitioner features onto the service by mid 2021. This will include:

  • practitioner registration
  • authorisation
  • de-authorisation
  • de-enrolment
  • report functionality for practitioners to compile and submit returns on behalf of a pension scheme administrator

Retirement annuity contracts and deferred annuity contracts

We’re aiming to update the service in autumn 2021 so that you can declare yourself as the scheme administrator of a retirement annuity contract (RAC) or deferred annuity contract (DAC) and we’ll provide you with the PSTR for the RAC or DAC through the service. From this point, scheme administrators and practitioners will be able to submit a return for a RAC or a DAC.

Pension Scheme Return

We’ll then introduce the Pension Scheme Return (PSR) on the service in time for the 2022 to 2023 tax year so that if you receive a notice to file a PSR, you’ll do this on the Managing pension schemes service for a pension scheme registered on the service.

3. Further help and information

We’ve updated our GOV.UK guides and we’ll be updating the Pensions Tax Manual to include information about compiling and submitting an AFT return through the Managing pension schemes service.

We’ll continue to keep you updated on our work to develop the service through our business as usual Pension schemes newsletters and we’ll publish further bespoke newsletters about the Managing pension schemes service when we add features onto the service.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Managing pension schemes service, put ‘Managing pension schemes service’ in the subject line of your email and send to: pensions.administration@hmrc.gov.uk.

4. How you can help us

We’re still looking for people to help us develop new features for the Managing pension schemes service and develop new features.

If you want to take part in user research and give us feedback you can join the Managing pension schemes user panel. You can do this even if you have not used the service yet.

As a member of the panel, we’ll only contact you about the Managing pension schemes service.

You can also email us with your feedback and put ‘Managing pension schemes service – feedback’ in the subject line of your email to: pensions.administration@hmrc.gov.uk.