If payroll closed before you could elect salary sacrifice on a bonus, you can still recover the tax.
1Your Situation
2Tax Calculator
3Pension Contribution
4Next Steps
Tell us about your bonus
We'll use this to calculate your tax position and show you what you can reclaim.
£
£
This helps us work out whether your bonus falls into higher rate tax.
Yes — too late
No — still possible
You may still be able to elect salary sacrifice
Contact your payroll or HR team as soon as possible — some payroll systems can accommodate late amendments before the final run. Use our email template if helpful.
Your tax breakdown
Here's how your bonus will be taxed, and what's potentially reclaimable.
What does this mean?
✓ Good news — you can reclaim the income tax
By making a personal pension contribution equal to your net bonus, you can recover most of the income tax through Self Assessment. The NI is not reclaimable, but everything else can be.
Making a personal pension contribution
Even though you missed salary sacrifice, you can still recover the income tax through a direct pension contribution.
£
Enter up to your full net bonus amount.
How does this work in practice?
Pay the contribution from your bank account into your pension (employer scheme if they accept AVCs, or a SIPP)
Your pension provider automatically claims 20% basic rate relief — so £800 from you becomes £1,000 in the pension
If you're a higher rate taxpayer, claim the extra 20–25% back via Self Assessment (Step 4)
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If you increase your salary sacrifice going forward, we'll show you the annual NI and tax saving.
Registering for Self Assessment
You're employed full-time, but you can still register to claim back higher rate pension relief. Here's exactly what to do.
⚠ Key deadlines
Register by 5 October 2025 to file for the 2024/25 tax year. File online by 31 January 2026.
1
Go to gov.uk and search "register for Self Assessment"
Select "I need to complete a tax return for another reason" — this covers employed people claiming pension relief.
2
Sign in or create a Government Gateway account
You'll need your National Insurance number and a form of ID (passport or UK driving licence).
3
Wait for your UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference)
HMRC posts this to you — allow up to 10 working days. You cannot file without it.
4
Complete your return online
In the pension section, enter the gross amount of your personal pension contributions. HMRC will calculate the additional relief owed.
5
Receive your refund
HMRC pays relief directly into your bank account or adjusts your tax code for the following year.
What to enter in the pension section
Enter the gross value of your personal pension contributions (the amount after basic rate relief is added). For example, if you paid in £800, your provider will have claimed £200 relief — enter £1,000 as the gross contribution.
Simpler alternative — P55 or direct claim
If your pension is a "relief at source" scheme and you only need to claim higher rate relief, you may be able to do this via a simple letter or phone call to HMRC (0300 200 3300) rather than a full return. Worth asking when you call.
Your summary
📄 Download your personalised PDF reportA branded summary of your results to take to an adviser or share with a partner.