just looking at transferring a couple of small dead uk pensions to nz
once uk and nz have had their slice, the remaining amount is around 50% of original values...:!!

Can't help on the NZ side, but it is possible to extract from the UK tax-free and legitimately.

Depending on amounts involved this may need to be done over multiple years - keeping under the personal tax allowance each time, and initially there's a one off 25% tax free withdrawal.

Fair amount of chat on this in the USA forum.

Nopes . About as much chance as a woodpecker keeping its tree round your way.

I could go on about this as it is a very bitter pill to swallow but there is no getting round it.

Pound and more of flesh time.

Had you been declaring these pensions on your NZ tax return Col?

have never filed a tax return in 10 years of being here

no doubt that will cost me too !!

Col. Serious mate.
Have you not declared those pensions here in NZ?
Or by 'NZ slice' do you mean the retrospective tax to be paid?

Yes that means once ALL taxes have been paid

thought about leaving them where they are and buying an ice cream each year with the pension they will provide

On a plus note I'm sure the massive saving I will make now I can watch the Americas cup for free will have me laughing all the way to the bank

OK. Then you really need to look at the possible growth even if they are small.

Depends on what type of pension . Also what you want to do with the funds.

I am being serious.

TBH doing anything with them seems like way too much hassle
I doubt i'll ever be arsed drawing them.

Silly then and why mention it .

If it wasnt such a high % that was taken I'd have had it, but as it is its too much hassle so I'll leave it to animal rescue

Justcol - give me a shout and lets talk through this. There might be some tips that I can help you with to keep more money in your pocket.. (I'd PM you but have you turned that function off?)

I was hoping you would pop by. Seems a shame as after all they do belong to him.

I'm in very much the same boat......waved goodbye to blighty and never thought about the poxy miss-sold pension I had back there. (stopped paying into it when I realised it would buy me a can a beans a week when I retired).

Loved the thought of never - ever filling in another tax return and never have.......and now......now the light at the end of the tunnel is actually tunnel entrance shaped i actually got in touch with the pension provider and asked how much have i got. Not a lot is want I was expecting and I wasn't disappointed, but it's still my 'not a lot' ...... well actually no it isn't. Sodding blighty want a chunk and then so does these kiwi grabbing B's. So I'm rightly miffed that my 'not a lot' ends up being 'even less than not a lot'

if anyone has any ideas of how I can keep my not a lot.....I'm all ears

As you can see, I was the same, now it turns out there's a way I get to keep a lot more of it than I thought
Its too much of a mine field to do it alone, get professional help
The best thing I did was to get in touch with chc4me he knows his stuff and can save you heaps

Thanks JustCol for the compliments!