The number of Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) has gone up by another 12 pensions during the past two weeks.
The latest QROPS List published by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) shows the total of QROPS worldwide has hit a new high of 3,754 pensions – an increase of 12 over the previous list.
No pensions are suspended from the list.
The new pensions opened in:
- Australia (8)
- Ireland (3)
- Jersey (1)
Jersey QROPS move up a notch
Jersey has moved up to the fourth leading QROPS financial centre by number of QROPS – adding six new schemes since the start of the year when the Channel Island changed pension rules to allow ‘third party’ QROPS.
These are schemes that allow retirement savers to live elsewhere than the financial centre that hosts their offshore pension.
The upward move pushes Switzerland into fifth place at the top of the QROPS chart.
Australia leads with 1,669 schemes, followed by Ireland with 791 and the Isle of Man with 236.
The next QROPS list is scheduled for publication on May 1, 2015.
| QROPS List - April 15, 2015 | |
|---|---|
| Financial centre | No of QROPS |
| Australia | 1669 |
| Austria | 11 |
| Barbados | 2 |
| Belgium | 24 |
| Bulgaria | 3 |
| Canada | 95 |
| Czech Republic | 3 |
| Denmark | 9 |
| European Union | 1 |
| Falkland Islands | 1 |
| Finland | 3 |
| France | 37 |
| Germany | 55 |
| Gibraltar | 46 |
| Greece | 1 |
| Guernsey | 91 |
| Hong Kong | 3 |
| Hungary | 1 |
| Iceland | 3 |
| India | 11 |
| Ireland | 791 |
| Isle of Man | 236 |
| Italy | 50 |
| Jamaica | 2 |
| Jersey | 142 |
| Kenya | 1 |
| Kosovo | 1 |
| Latvia | 3 |
| Liechtenstein | 4 |
| Luxembourg | 10 |
| Malta | 22 |
| Mauritius | 2 |
| Netherlands | 119 |
| New Zealand | 57 |
| Norway | 8 |
| Portugal | 23 |
| Russian Federation | 1 |
| South Africa | 32 |
| Spain | 16 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 |
| Sweden | 7 |
| Switzerland | 139 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2 |
| Turkey | 3 |
| United States of America | 13 |
| Total: | 3754 |
| Source: HMRC QROPS List | |
