It's good to know which decisions can never be undone, before you retire in Ireland. Most of a pre-retirement checklist can be changed next year. Four or five items cannot. In this episode Paddy Delaney, independent retirement and investment planner, takes them door by door: the €200,000 lifetime limit on tax-free lump sums, the annuity decision, the tax year you crystallise near the Standard Fund Threshold, the pension tax relief that stops with your last payslip, and the order you do it all in.

This episode is for anyone a year or two from retirement who wants to know which doors close for good.

What you'll learn:

• Why the €200,000 tax-free retirement lump sum in Ireland is a lifetime limit across all your pensions, not per pension
• Why an ARF can become an annuity later, but an annuity can never go back
• How the Standard Fund Threshold rising from €2.2m to €2.8m makes the tax year you crystallise matter, and why growth can erase the saving (fictional case study: Maggie, 61, €2.6m)
• How much pension tax relief you can still use at 55 to 59 and at 60 and over, before your last payslip

If you're approaching retirement with a significant pension and want clarity on which decisions to slow down on, this episode is for you.

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.