Executive & Company Pensions Plans
Bespoke executive pension planning to move corporate profits into personal wealth tax-efficiently or provide long term financial resilience for the team.
If you are a Company Director or an Employee, your pension is one of the most powerful financial tools at your disposal. In the 2026 landscape, it remains the most efficient way to move corporate profits into personal wealth while significantly reducing the company's corporation tax liability.
There are two types of employer sponsored pension arrangements readily available in the Irish Market, the Master Trust and the PRSA.
Employer Sponsored PRSAs
An employer sponsored PRSA is one that is facilitated through payroll by your employer. This means that every month they withhold your chosen pension contributions from your salary and pay it directly to the PRSA provider. They also report this to Revenue on your behalf, calculate your tax reliefs due and apply these to your net take home pay.
Your employer may also choose to contribute to this arrangement and under current rules can contribute up to 100% of your earnings each year should they so wish.
Master Trust Pension
Introduced in Ireland in 2021 these company pension arrangements are designed to protect the members’/ employees’ pensions values through very high levels of governance and oversight. These arrangements have further flexibility to those of employer sponsored PRSAs:
The levels of employer contributions are not restricted to 100% of annual employee remuneration but based on years of service and average salary.
At retirement there are also more options on how you draw down your lump sum whether as a multiple of salary or 25% of the fund value, capped at €500,000.
If you are over 50 and choose to retire early (either partially or fully) these types of Master Trust pension schemes (and PRBs see below) can be drawn down, providing you no longer work for this employer - an interesting tip if early retirement is in your plans.
Options when you leave employment
Leave where is – but don’t forget about it and keep an eye on investment strategies and that they remain in line with your investment preferences.
Transfer to a PRSA – such a scheme cannot be accessed until age 60 unless due to ill health but can be kept in a PRSA scheme until your age of 75.
Transfer to your new company pension plan – this allows you to keep a potentially more active eye on it, however means that you will have to retire from this role before you access it and limits your ability to drawdown on different pension assets at different times.
Transfer to a Personal Retirement Bond (PRB)/ Buy Out Bond (BOB) which allows you more control over your investment choices.Personal Retirement Bond (PRB).
Draw on it if over the age of 50.
Personal Retirement Bond (PRB)/ Buy Out Bond (BOB)
A PRB is a personal pension policy that can hold the benefits of a former member of a scheme.
Why use it? If you are leaving your current company or if your existing group pension scheme is winding down, a PRB allows you to "take your pension with you."
Personal Control: You take the value of your existing fund and reinvest it in a bond that you control, rather than leaving it in an old employer's scheme.
Tax-Free Growth: Any investment growth within the PRB is entirely tax-free.
At Retirement: You retain the flexibility to take a tax-free lump sum (subject to Revenue rules) and invest the remainder in an Annuity or an ARF/AMRF.
It can be drawn down from any age between 50-70 if you no longer work with this employer allowing staggered draw downs even if you are employed elsewhere.
Every executive strategy we design is built on a deep examination of your financial needs. We recommend an annual review to ensure your plan evolves with changing Revenue limits and your personal goals.