Academy trusts will shortly need to submit their unaudited annual End of Year Certificate (EOYC) to Teachers' Pensions.

Here's a reminder of your obligations and a helpful checklist.

Teachers' Pension (TP) have issued its guidance to Academy Trusts on how to complete the EOYC, which can be viewed here.  It is a reminder that the unaudited EOYC must soon be submitted.

As in previous years, the EOYC must be uploaded through the portal by 31 May 2022. The deadline for the audited version of the EOYC to be submitted is 30 September 2022.

The EOYC is, at its most basic, a record showing if all contributions due by an Academy Trust have been correctly paid through its payroll. However, it is complex with various rules determining the pension rate payable as well as anomalies in whether the pay received should be pensionable at all. Added complications can arise with auto-enrolment where teachers choose to opt out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

Whilst the data initially submitted via the portal to Teachers' Pension Scheme is unaudited, the complexities of the scheme mean errors can creep in, and therefore it is important that Academy Trusts check that the EOYC data being submitted is correct.

EOYC timeline

  • March: Guidance issued to Academy Trusts on EOYC
  • End of April: TP issues schools with a statement of total amount of contributions
  • April – May: Schools to create summary of all contributions to TP by tier
  • 31 May: Unaudited data uploaded to TP via portal
  • May – September: EOYCs audited
  • 30 September: Audited EOYCs submitted

How Hillier Hopkins can help

Hillier Hopkins offers a 30-strong highly experienced education team that works with 32 academy trusts alongside many independent schools.

The team offers the full range of support to academy trusts from audit and accounts preparation to VAT and tax advice, including the EOYC audit.

In a complex and evolving landscape, training and development of the audit team is vital. Hillier Hopkins has a continuous training programme delivered via regular internal and external experts.

That ethos of continued training and development is extended to our clients with a regular seminar programme supported by newsletters and technical updates.

Hillier Hopkins also offers a telephone helpline for its academy trust clients where routine questions can be addressed free of charge.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.