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Made an extra pension contribution?
Claim what you're owed.

For one-off or additional personal contributions outside payroll — claim your full tax relief and get back what HMRC owes you.

1Your Details
2Relief Calculation
3Allowance Check
4Next Steps
Your details

Tell us about your income and how much you'd like to contribute. We'll calculate exactly what the government adds on top.

£

Your total employment income before tax. Used to determine your tax band and how much relief you can claim.

£

The amount you'll actually transfer from your bank account. Your pension provider will automatically add 20% basic rate relief on top.

£

Include employer contributions too. Used to check your annual allowance headroom. Leave blank if unsure.

Employer scheme (AVC)
Personal SIPP
Not sure yet

Both work the same way for tax relief. This just affects the guidance we give you.

Your tax relief breakdown

Here's exactly what happens to your contribution and how much you can claim back.


How relief at source works

  • You transfer your net contribution from your bank account to the pension
  • Your pension provider claims 20% basic rate relief from HMRC and adds it automatically — usually within 6–10 weeks
  • If you're a higher or additional rate taxpayer, you claim the extra relief via Self Assessment
  • The full gross amount is then invested in your chosen fund
Annual allowance check

Make sure your total contributions stay within HMRC's limits — breaching them triggers a tax charge that wipes out the relief.

What counts towards the annual allowance?

Both your own contributions and your employer's contributions count. For defined contribution schemes, it's simply the total paid in. The limit is £60,000 or 100% of your earnings, whichever is lower.

Carry forward

If you've been a pension scheme member for the past three years and haven't used your full allowance, you can carry forward unused allowance — potentially allowing contributions well above £60,000 this year. Speak to a financial adviser to use this correctly.

Your next steps

Here's exactly what to do to make your AVC and claim your full tax relief.


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Ask MyPayPicture Assistant
MyPayPicture Assistant
General information only · Not financial advice
How does relief at source work?
SIPP or employer scheme?
How do I claim higher rate relief?
What is carry forward?