The relief most people under-claim, and the allowances that limit it.
Two methods of giving relief, and why one leaves money unclaimed.
Pension tax relief is the most valuable relief available to an ordinary taxpayer and the most widely under-claimed. The reason is structural: relief is given in two different ways, and under one of them a large part of it does not arrive unless you ask.
This module explains both methods, how to tell which one applies to you, and how to claim what is missing. It deals only with the tax treatment, not with whether or how much to contribute.
How much you can contribute with relief, and the restrictions that bite.
Relief is generous but not unlimited. Two caps apply to everyone, and two further restrictions apply to specific groups. Exceeding a limit does not stop the contribution, it creates a tax charge, which is why knowing where the lines sit matters.
Salary sacrifice, threshold effects, and your State Pension record.
The last module is about interactions. Pension contributions do not only save income tax: they change your National Insurance, move you relative to thresholds that have nothing to do with pensions, and sit alongside a State Pension record that works on completely different rules.
10 questions covering the whole course. Score 80% or more and you get a certificate of completion. You can retake it as many times as you like.
The exam needs a free account, so we can save your result. The lessons themselves never do.
Go to the examOfficial & accurate
Every figure follows HMRC 2026/27 rates and links to its gov.uk source.
Private & secure
Calculations run in your browser. Your figures are never stored or shared.
Free for everyone
No account, no paywall, no limits. All our tools are completely free.
This week in UK tax, every Friday
Rate changes, deadlines and HMRC rule updates that affect your money, in one short email.
One email every Friday. Unsubscribe any time.
