The rules have been changed—after you already played the game.
Millions of people in private sector jobs have spent years saving into pensions for their retirement.
They followed the rules. They did what governments encouraged:
work, save, take responsibility.
Now those rules are being changed.
What is happening?
The Labour government has passed a new law that brings private pensions into inheritance tax from April 2027.
Inheritance tax is normally charged at 40% when someone dies and passes on money.
Under the new rules:
- Money left in a pension when someone dies may face 40% inheritance tax
- The person who receives it may also pay income tax
- Families could receive far less than expected
This affects millions of ordinary savers across the UK.
Why is this controversial?
Because Labour’s change is retrospective taxation.
That means it applies to money that was saved years ago under different rules.
People made long-term decisions based on what they were told at the time.
Now, after those decisions have been made, the tax treatment is being changed.
Imagine saving for decades under one set of rules—only for them to be rewritten at the end.
Why it matters
This is not just about pensions.
It raises a bigger question:
Can the government change the rules on your savings after you’ve already followed them?
If that becomes normal, it affects trust in:
- long-term saving
- retirement planning
- the basic relationship between citizen and state
What we are doing
This campaign is exploring a legal challenge to these changes.
We are working with specialist public law solicitors Sharpe Pritchard LLP to:
- assess whether the policy can be challenged in court
- examine whether it breaches property rights
- test whether retrospective taxation of this kind is lawful
The government has said it will comply with court rulings.
That means this issue can—and should—be tested properly.
Why now?
The law has now passed Parliament and received Royal Assent.
A new public discussion of the issue—through the TaxPayers’ Alliance—will bring it to a wider national audience.
This is the moment to act.
Support the campaign
We are raising funds to take the next legal step.
- Initial target: £10,000
- Commitments received: £2,000
This will fund expert legal advice to determine whether a full challenge should proceed.
Every contribution helps move this forward.
👉 Support the campaign
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