Self-Employed Pension Options: Which Vehicle Fits Best?

You are self-employed and nobody hands you a pension. You have to pick the wrapper yourself, and the options blur together. Feed in your trading structure, income, age and what matters most to you, and you get a side-by-side comparison of SIPP, stakeholder and SSAS, with the trade-offs spelled out for your situation rather than in the abstract.

I am self-employed with the following profile:

- Trading structure: {TRADING_STRUCTURE} (e.g. sole trader, limited company director)
- Approximate net profit or salary + dividends: {ANNUAL_INCOME}
- Age: {AGE}
- Existing pension provision: {EXISTING_PROVISION}
- Key priority: {PRIORITY} (e.g. tax efficiency, flexibility, simplicity)

Compare the main pension vehicles available to me (SIPP, stakeholder pension, SSAS (if relevant), and employer contributions via limited company) across: tax relief mechanism, contribution limits, investment flexibility, admin burden, and cost. Factor in the interaction with the Annual Allowance, carry-forward rules, and whether paying employer contributions through a limited company is more tax-efficient than personal contributions. Produce a ranked shortlist of two options with a clear recommendation.