Use AVCs to retire at 60?

plan2retire

New Member
Messages
3
Hi. Im looking at how best to set myself up to retire at 60 and not sure of implications or whats possible.

My "plan":
- Im 48
- I have a very good DB pension which im thinking i would access at 66 and should be enough to provide for comfortable retirement (no need to top up).
- I started paying ~18k per year into AVCs a few years back and am planning to continue that up to age 60, at which point, im expecting there should be enough to cover ~6 years between 60 and 66.
- The AVCs are deducted from salary, its a scheme organised through my employer, but managed by a provider.

My main question is if it is possible to cash in the AVCs at 60, and leave my DB pension sit until 66? And if so, what are the tax etc implications?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.
 
The short answer, I believe, is no. Since your avc is done through payroll, the two are linked together. But there is noting stopping you opening your own PRSA now with one fo the low cost providers and pay into this instead and claim the tax back form revenue or get tax credit/bands adjusted by revenue . which would be nearly the same thing as ways it done thought payroll currently. This one could then be retired at 60 if you wanted leaving your DB scheme untouched until you want to retire it
 
Only if the OP has a separate source of income to the main employment income. An AVC-PRSA has the same access rules as a standard AVC.
 
Last edited:
You can only access your AVCs when you start taking your PS pension.
You would need to start this at age 60.

Will you have 2080 class A Prsi contributions at age 60 ?
If not read this thread
 
Last edited:
Thanks a mill for those answers. I'll need to have a bit of a read through so I'm tracking. I will only have 36 years of PRSI contributions (as a full time employee) So I'm assuming this means I'll only have 36×52 (1872) contributions? Sorry for the basic questions, I'm not familiar with the area.
 
Sorry I thought this post was in the Public Sector forum.
My mistake.
Does that change any of the info in the replies above? Does the 2080 contributions threshold apply only to public pensions?
But the rules around having to take the AVCs and DB pension at the same time still apply I'm taking it?
And thanks for all the replies, all very helpful.
 
Does that change any of the info in the replies above? Does the 2080 contributions threshold apply only to public pensions?
2,080 PRSI contributions or credits that are reckonable for the contributory pension is what's needed to qualify for the full pension. Otherwise it would be pro-rata. E.g. 1,872 would give 1,872 / 2,080 x 100 = c. 90% of the full pension.
 
The rules are the same for any DB pension, PS or private sector. You can only access your AVCs when you start your DB pension

2080 Prsi contributions only apply for qualification for the full rate state contributury old age pension.
 
Just while we're on the topic. When I'm calculating my wife's AVC amounts (with a view to maxing out to 25%), do I simply take the amount of contributions going into her DB pension each month and subtract that from the gross number representing 25% of her income in order to work out the max AVC that she can make?