Deducting premiums paid to a supplementary pension scheme
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Premiums paid by an employee to a supplementary pension scheme are tax deductible, under certain conditions.
A supplementary pension scheme (the 'second pillar' of pension insurance) is set up by the employer for all of their employees or for only one category of their employees. This pension scheme supplements:
- the mandatory social security scheme (first pillar); and
- the private pension plan (third pillar), which is set up on the private initiative of the taxpayer.
The objective of this supplementary pension scheme is to grant enrolled employees benefits that supplement those provided for under the legal social security schemes for retirement, death, invalidity, or survival.
The scheme is usually funded predominately by the employer. Employees may also pay premiums into this supplementary pension plan. The premiums they pay are tax-deductible up to a ceiling of EUR 1,200 per year per member of the scheme.
Who is concerned
This tax deduction is available to all taxpayers, resident or non-resident, who:
- submit an income tax return;
- request an adjustment of tax withholdings on wages and salaries by means of the annual adjustment method.
Prerequisites
Personal premiums paid by employees are tax deductible if they are paid as part of a supplementary pension scheme put in place by a Luxembourg company, pursuant to the Law of 8 June 1999 on supplementary pension schemes.
In certain conditions, personal premiums paid under foreign supplementary plans by employees posted to companies established in Luxembourg may also be tax deductible.
How to proceed
Tax deduction evaluation methods
Employees can deduct the premiums paid to a supplementary pension scheme from their tax in one of the following ways:
- when the tax withheld from their salary is being calculated, i.e. when the employer establishes their salary slip;
- when filing an income tax return, which should be submitted no later than 31 December of the year following the tax year in question;
- when filing a request for an adjustment of the tax withheld from their salary by way of the annual adjustment procedure, which should be submitted no later than 31 December of the year following the tax year in question.
Deduction upon establishment of the salary slip
These premiums are generally already deducted by the employer on the salary slip when they are paid. In that case, reporting the premiums in the tax return will not give rise to a tax refund.
Even when the employer takes the premium deductions into account when calculating the salary, the employee taxpayer must mention them in the tax return or the annual adjustment.
Deduction upon filing an income tax return
Resident and non-resident employees who file a tax return by 31 December of the year following the tax year in question may deduct from their taxable income the premiums paid into an employer-sponsored supplementary pension scheme.
They must also attach their Luxembourg annual compensation certificate (form 160) showing the annual amount of the premiums paid into the supplementary pension scheme.
The premiums are tax deductible up to a maximum of EUR 1,200 per year for each employee. These premiums have generally already been deducted by the employer on the salary slip when they are paid. In that case, reporting the premiums in the tax return will not give rise to a tax refund.
If 2 employees are taxed jointly, the ceiling of EUR 1,200 per year is doubled.
Deduction by requesting an adjustment of tax withholdings on wages and salaries by means of the annual adjustment method
The resident or non-resident employee taxpayer who does not satisfy the conditions for filing a tax return may deduct from their taxable income the premiums paid into an employer-sponsored supplementary pension scheme by filing a request for an adjustment of the tax withheld on their salary by way of the annual adjustment method no later than 31 December of the year following the tax year in question.
This procedure is only necessary if the employer, when establishing the employee's the salary slip, did not take into account the tax deduction when calculating the withholding tax.
Taxpayers must also attach their Luxembourg annual salary certificate (form 160) to their request for adjustment, indicating the annual amount of the premiums paid into their supplementary pension scheme.
These documents must be returned to the competent tax office, depending on the place of residence of the taxpayer.
The adjustment request may also be submitted directly online via MyGuichet.lu, by filling out an interactive questionnaire.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Luxembourg Inland Revenue (ACD)
- Address:
- 33, rue de Gasperich L-5826 Hesperange Luxembourg
Please click on the link above to find the competent department.
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
Service Pensions complémentaires
sur le portail de l'Inspection générale de la sécurité sociale
-
Summary of direct taxes on the website of the Luxembourg Inland Revenue
Pdf •
Legal references
-
Loi modifiée du 4 décembre 1967
concernant l'impôt sur le revenu
-
Loi modifiée du 8 juin 1999
relative aux régimes complémentaires de pension
