Taxation on UK Pensions in France:
What You Need to Know France Flag

If you’re a UK pension holder living in France, it’s important to understand how your pension income is taxed.

By default, UK pensions are taxed at source in the UK as earned income. As a French resident, you will generally pay tax on this income in France instead, under the UK–France Double Taxation Agreement (DTA). Fill in the form to access our full guide and discover other resources to help you manage your pensions and taxation effectively.

Using the NT Tax Code

To avoid UK tax being withheld at source, you can apply for an “NT” (No Tax) code from HMRC. This code lets your pension provider pay your income gross. But you can only get an NT code if you’ve already started taking income from your pension (your initial 25% Pension Commencement Lump Sum is tax-free at source anyway). Please bear in mind that an NT tax code may not be possible to apply for, depending on whether you have any other UK relevant earnings, and the withdrawal amount.

Hand placing a coin in a purse, symbolizing American expats saving money through tax loss harvesting.

Without an NT code in place, you have a few options:

Option 1

When taking your 25% tax-free lump sum, also withdraw the minimum amount of income to trigger the process for HMRC to assign your NT code. Be aware this can take months to finalise.

Option 2

Take the minimum income and wait until you receive your NT code before withdrawing larger or ad-hoc sums.

Option 3

Withdraw what you need now and claim back any UK tax deducted at source from HMRC at the end of the tax year. This requires you to manage the annual reclaim process yourself.

Taxation in France

Under the DTA, once you have an NT code or reclaim the UK tax, you pay French income tax on your pension instead. Pension income in France is taxed at your marginal rate like other earned income. Additionally, a social charge generally applies.

Exemptions may apply if you hold an EU Form S1 or aren’t part of the French healthcare system.

Traditional French house with lavender in the foreground and rolling hills in the background

See What Our Clients Say

  • I have been a client of SJB Global for the past 3 years and, during that time, Matt Quinn has worked diligently to safeguard my portfolio, advising (but never pushing)... read more

    Rob Leach Avatar Rob Leach

    Following the decision to switch to SJB Global in 2020 Matthew Quinn has been there with professional advice, information and support every step of the way since. I would certainly recommend... read more

    ian killoh Avatar ian killoh

    Very professional and trustworthy financial consultants. I have had many discussions and dealings with Alex Gover and have found him to be extremely helpful, honest and insightful.

    Chris Marsden Avatar Chris Marsden
  • My adviser was comprehensive and thorough in ensuring they fully understood my situation and my objectives. The solution provided gives a good return but also reduces the management costs notably... read more

    Glenn Vaughan Avatar Glenn Vaughan

    great service

    John Kay Avatar John Kay

    I’ve dealt with Lewis over the past few months and he has been great help in transferring my pension across. He was always very professional and patient, ensuring I fully... read more

    tanya spelkova Avatar tanya spelkova
  • I moved my investment portfolio to SJB Global earlier this year as I was not seeing any growth with my previous investment company. I have to say that from the... read more

    Paul Simms Avatar Paul Simms

    I have found the support and advise offered by Daniel Lattimer to be very clear, concise and accurate. I can highly recommend him.

    Bogdan Bienkowski Avatar Bogdan Bienkowski

    I have been dealing with SJB since i retired 4 years ago and have had no issues with the service. The team are extremely helpful and have always looked... read more

    Andrew Thompson Avatar Andrew Thompson
  • very professional, friendly. good expertise. able to answer any and all relevant questions. proactive and trustworthy

    jeremy hotchkiss Avatar jeremy hotchkiss

    I have corresponded and spoken on the phone with Piers Kemp. His client service skills hit the top marks. He is professional, helpful, kind, polite, and knows what he is... read more

    Kristiina St.Croix Avatar Kristiina St.Croix

    2021 / 2022 have been turbulent years and I went in to the assessment expecting a very painful feedback on my portfolio. I am happy to say Ben Eccles managed... read more

    Adam Smith Avatar Adam Smith
  • After having a bad experience worrying about an underperforming portfolio after moving my pension out of the UK (a QUROPS) I decided to make the changeover to it being... read more

    Mike Hatrick Avatar Mike Hatrick

    Excellent service Lewis was fantastic to deal with on all matters

    Steve Weston Avatar Steve Weston

    I have to say that working with Randal Stephens has been a sincere pleasure and in the large majority of cases a blessing. His competence, his attitude to help a... read more

    Alfonso Gentile Avatar Alfonso Gentile
  • SJB Global have been my pension provider for a few years now. From switching over which was effortless to the array of products that they have access to is impressive.... read more

    Justin Woodmansee Avatar Justin Woodmansee

    Sound advice and guidance always from SJB Global. This professional outfit have a great perspective of the markets and I feel secure my investments are managed by these guys.

    Peter Lacken Avatar Peter Lacken

    Hi,I would just like to say,SJB Global are a life saver and the person who helped me with my pension needs was Daniel Latimer..At first I was was a little... read more

    Adrian Churchill Avatar Adrian Churchill
  • Down to earth financial advice, and fees that don't cost the earth.

    Peter Nutt Avatar Peter Nutt

    Since start of using SJB Global in 2018, I've restructured my pension and savings plans. Professional knowledge, experience and understanding of different available products has enabled me to make... read more

    Paul Austin Avatar Paul Austin

    Alex Gover at SJB Global is a pleasure to work with. He is very professional, knowledgeable, and personable. I have no hesitation in recommending him and SJB Global. Alex advised... read more

    Dan Avatar Dan
  • My adviser was comprehensive and thorough in ensuring they fully understood my situation and my objectives. The solution provided gives a good return but also reduces the management costs notably... read more

    Glenn Vaughan Avatar Glenn Vaughan

    Since start of using SJB Global in 2018, I've restructured my pension and savings plans. Professional knowledge, experience and understanding of different available products has enabled me to make... read more

    Paul Austin Avatar Paul Austin

    Outstanding customer service - really happy.

    Olaf Ulrich Avatar Olaf Ulrich
  • Great experience so far with Ben, always keeps me up to date and informed and also great at explaining things clearly when the information gets a bit technical!

    kirk siddall Avatar kirk siddall

    It’s been a breath of fresh air dealing with Jake from SJB Global. My previous advisor had set up my portfolio badly with annual costs eating heavily into my profits.... read more

    Darren Nash Avatar Darren Nash

    I received excellent personalised service & advice from Alex. He went above and beyond to listen to my needs and propose a custom investment plans suited to my needs, earning... read more

    Karine Pierre-Louis Avatar Karine Pierre-Louis
  • I feel very well looked after since I transferred my pension to SJB Global. Daniel responds promptly, concisely and clearly to my queries. Additionally SJB offer very competitive management and... read more

    Graham Tod Avatar Graham Tod

    Friendly and efficient. Sam was incredibly patient with me and spent a lot of time discussing my savings and pension objectives before making his recommendations.

    Sue Kaye Avatar Sue Kaye

    Very good experience with SJB for pension and tax planning.

    Dave Lea Avatar Dave Lea
  • Since start of using SJB Global in 2018, I've restructured my pension and savings plans. Professional knowledge, experience and understanding of different available products has enabled me to make... read more

    Paul Austin Avatar Paul Austin
  • Piers made my portfolio grow ad cut those toxic investments that otherwise would have gotten me into financial trouble. I'm very lucky to be a customer.

    Tatyana van 't Hof-Minayeva Avatar Tatyana van 't Hof-Minayeva
  • Very professional and trustworthy financial consultants. I have had many discussions and dealings with Alex Gover and have found him to be extremely helpful, honest and insightful.

    Chris Marsden Avatar Chris Marsden
  • After having a bad experience worrying about an underperforming portfolio after moving my pension out of the UK (a QUROPS) I decided to make the changeover to it being... read more

    Mike Hatrick Avatar Mike Hatrick
  • very knowledgeable, transparent and always clear communication

    Stephen Daly Avatar Stephen Daly
  • Great experience so far with Ben, always keeps me up to date and informed and also great at explaining things clearly when the information gets a bit technical!

    kirk siddall Avatar kirk siddall
  • SJB Global have been my pension provider for a few years now. From switching over which was effortless to the array of products that they have access to is impressive.... read more

    Justin Woodmansee Avatar Justin Woodmansee
  • A great caring team, nothing is ever too difficult for them to help you work through a problem.

    Sue Barley Avatar Sue Barley
  • Hi,I would just like to say,SJB Global are a life saver and the person who helped me with my pension needs was Daniel Latimer..At first I was was a little... read more

    Adrian Churchill Avatar Adrian Churchill
  • I've just completed the transfer of my UK pension to an international setup with SJB Global and Alex Gover as my Advisor. The process was made very clear by Alex... read more

    Andrew Taylor Avatar Andrew Taylor

Get Expert Cross-Border Tax Advice

Managing pension taxation across borders can be complex. Mistakes can lead to unnecessary double taxation or delays in reclaiming overpaid tax. It’s always wise to get expert advice to ensure you’re complying with both UK and French rules while optimising your retirement income.

What does the obligation free call include?

An initial 15-minute introduction call explaining our services and how we can help.

We go through a fact-finding exercise so we can then provide a full financial planning report including a personalised retirement forecast with future projections and work out how on track you are.

Lastly, we will provide a recommendation on any areas where we feel you could improve.

Who is SJB Global and meet your adviser

Our regulations, Independence and Fees

Our process from start to finish

Area we help with including:

UK Pension Advice

Retirement Planning

Investment Planning

Tax Planning

US Expat Services

International Estate Planning

Note: Minimum managed assets for SJB Global is £100,000 or currency equivalent.

Licensing & Regulations

Nexus Global specialises in providing a regulatory platform and compliance support to international financial advisers and intermediaries to enable them to meet regulatory requirements to provide their clients with a professional service. The financial advisers trading under SJB Global are members of Nexus Global. Nexus Global is a division of Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited (BFMI). All approved members of Nexus Global are appointed representatives of BFMI. BFMI is licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (FSC) and bound by the rules under licence number 3647: http://www.fsc.gi/regulated-entity/blacktower-financial-management-international-limited-3647.

Get Your Free France Guides

Fill in the form once to unlock our full guide on UK pensions, taxation, and financial planning in France. You’ll be redirected to our downloads page, where you can save this guide and explore other resources to assist with your financial planning.

Access Guides