IX Forum: The Day the Penny Dropped for Trustees

A huge thank you to organisers Mark Plumley and Anil Cardiff for putting on a proper working event,and to Gianpaolo Parodi of Broom Consultants, whose talk on IFAs who actually understand pensions was a welcome dose of honesty.

What we covered, and why it landed hard

1. The 2025 HMRC reporting overhaul is not optional

SSAS members are now subject to a completely different reporting framework. This isn’t a tweak,it’s a structural shift. Trustees must now report through a new HMRC system, deal with tougher deadlines and provide deeper levels of detail, including data on assets, loans, and valuations.Most in the room hadn’t been told this. Some hadn’t even been migrated to the new system. Onedelegate summed it up best: “Why hasn’t my provider mentioned any of this?”

2. IHT is coming for pensions in 2027

From April 2027, most unused pensions, including SSAS, will be brought into the member’s estate for inheritance tax. That means trustees will be expected to value, report and potentially settle IHT.Fast. It’s not just a tax issue. It’s an operational and legal one, and many SSAS members simply won’t be ready. We talked through real-world implications, and what proactive planning looks like.

3. Technology is no longer a nice-to-have

We showcased our latest client app, developed in-house and paired with AI support to make scheme reporting smarter, faster and more accurate. No more wondering what’s going on inside your SSAS. No more chasing for valuations. Just live visibility, audit trail access, and peace of mind, all in your pocket. The feedback? “This makes every other provider look like they’re standing still.” What we saw in the room. There was real energy, and real concern. Attendees were experienced, switched-on trustees and professionals. But the level of surprise in the room was telling. It’s not that people don’t want to be compliant. It’s that many providers simply aren’t equipping them with the knowledge or tools to keep up. We had conversations with trustees from five different firms who were actively rethinking their current setup before they even left the room.

If you weren’t in the room, read this twice. These rule changes are live now. The IHT shift is locked in. And the days of running your SSAS on good intentions and guesswork are over.

We’re holding a follow-up webinar next month to go deeper into the technical changes, and we’ve made a PDF of the slides available for those who want to see what’s coming.

But if you’re reading this and wondering whether your provider has said anything, or worse, hoping they haven’t missed something, that’s your answer. What to do next Book a call

We’ll talk you through what’s changed, what it means for your scheme, and whether you’re in the right place. Request the slides We’ll send the full PDF of our session, no fluff, just clarity.

Join the webinar Dates released soon. Ask questions, get answers, and see how RC is leading the way. The clients we work with aren’t guessing. They’re planning.If your SSAS feels like a burden instead of a benefit… a risk instead of an asset, maybe it’s time we had a conversation.sSSAS