By obtaining tax relief, Getting tax relief means that you will get income tax back on your pension contributions.
When you receive tax relief on your pension, some of the money that you would have paid in goes into your pension pot instead. This allows your pension pot to grow more effectively, providing greater financial security for your future.
Pension tax relief is equivalent to:
- 20% of the total contributions for basic rate taxpayers (earning up to £50,000 per year)
- 40% of the total contributions for higher rate taxpayers (earning between £50,001 and £150,000 per year)
- 45% of the total contributions for additional rate taxpayers (earning more than £150,000 per year – be aware that your pension allowance will reduce dramatically after £150,000)
For example...
Jon is a basic rate taxpayer as he earns £35,000 a year. He made a pension contribution of £100 this month but only paid £80 from income.
| Contribution | Amount |
| Personal Contribution | £80 |
| Tax top-up from HMRC | £20 |
| The total amount going into your pension | £100 |
Claiming additional tax relief
If you happen to be a higher or additional rate taxpayer (meaning you pay income tax at a rate above 20%), and your workplace pension scheme operates on a “relief at source” basis, you may have the opportunity to claim additional tax from the government.
You can check with your employer or your pension provider how your pension scheme is operated. If you are a Husky client, you can contact us to know if you might be eligible to claim additional relief.
How does it work?
If your pension scheme is operated on relief at source, it means that your pension contributions have been deducted from your pay after tax is taken.
Your pension provider has claimed the 20% tax relief from the government and automatically added it into your pot. However, as you are a higher or an additional rate taxpayer, you get a 40% (or 45% if you are an additional rate taxpayer) relief, and not only 20%.
Therefore, you are eligible to claim back a further 20% (25% if you are a 45% taxpayer) which are returned to you directly by HMRC.
How to claim?
If you normally complete a Self-Assessment tax return, then you should include your pension contributions on the return. The deadline of the Self-assessment return is the 31st of January.
If you do not complete an annual return, then you can simply contact HMRC:
- Call HMRC on 0300 200 3300
- Have your name, address and National Insurance Number with you (available within the app)
- Have a list of the worker contributions for the tax year/s that you want to claim the tax back for
- Explain to HMRC that you are eligible to a tax refund for your pension contributions as you are a higher rate taxpayer and your pension scheme is operated on relief at source basis.
Download the Husky app
If your employer is with Husky, you can download the Husky for Everyone app for Android or IOS to view the pension contributions you made during the tax year and to learn more about the above. Please contact support@huskyfinance.com to receive the code to link your workplace pension.
If your employer is not with Husky yet, you can refer your employer to Husky to take advantage of all the benefits. Contact us to know more.