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I moved to Germany twenty years ago and now have dual UK/German citizenship.  I pay German taxes but nothing in the UK.   However, I have 2 separate private pensions in the UK, from my earlier employment there, which should start to pay out this year. Both offer an initial "Tax Free" lump sum.  But would that also be regarded as Tax Free in Germany?   The helpdesk of the pension trustees for the larger of the two, have told me that it should be tax free, even in Germany. However, a couple of years ago I spoke with a representative of Abbey Wealth about possibly moving the main pension to a QROPS, and he told me that the lump sum would definitely be treated as income by the German tax authority, and taxed accordingly.   Does anyone know for certain one way or the other?