Am I owed higher-rate pension tax relief?
Over 800,000 higher-rate taxpayers never claim the extra relief on their pension contributions. Six questions work out whether you are one of them, and what four backdated years are worth.
Why this exists: 800,000 people · £1.42bn unclaimed a year. Typically £1,000–£4,000.
Loading the check…
Rates as at 6 April 2026 — the 2026/27 tax year.
Rather someone else did it?
Partner linksFixed-fee services where a qualified accountant prepares and files your return.
TaxScouts
A real accountant files your return for one fixed fee.
Fixed fee, typically about £169 per return
Get my return doneGoSimpleTax
DIY Self Assessment software that checks for missed savings.
From about £54.99 per tax year
File it myselfWe may earn a commission if you sign up through one of these links. It never changes what we calculate, what we recommend, or the order they appear in.
The rules behind this
Every figure above comes from one of these. Where the tool has interpreted rather than calculated, it says so in the finding.
Relief is given at your marginal rate, limited to the higher of your relevant UK earnings and £3,600 gross.
Under relief at source the scheme reclaims only the basic rate; higher and additional-rate relief must be claimed by the member.
A claim for overpaid tax may be made within four years of the end of the tax year.
The personal allowance is withdrawn by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income above £100,000; a pension contribution reduces adjusted net income.
The annual allowance is £60,000 across your own and your employer's contributions, with three years of carry-forward.
Questions people ask
How do I know which kind of scheme I have?
Look at a payslip. Under net pay the pension is deducted before tax is calculated, so your taxable pay is already lower. Under relief at source it comes out of pay that has already been taxed, and the provider adds 20% afterwards. If in doubt, ask payroll — it is one question and it decides whether you have a claim at all.
Why would my provider not just claim it all?
It cannot. The provider does not know your income, so it has no way of knowing what rate you pay. It claims the basic rate for everybody, and anything above that is between you and HMRC.
I do not file a tax return — can I still claim?
Yes. Write to HMRC or use your Personal Tax Account with the gross contribution for each year. You do not need to register for Self Assessment to claim relief, and you should not have to.
How far back can I go?
Four tax years from the end of the year the contribution was made. The oldest year drops out every 5 April, so a claim that covers four years is worth making before then rather than after.
Does this apply to salary sacrifice?
No, and that is a good thing. Sacrifice gives the income tax relief through the lower salary and saves National Insurance as well, which a personal contribution never does. There is simply nothing left to claim.