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Calculate your pension tax relief
An estimate based on 2025/26 tax rules
Estimated tax relief
Enter your income and the amount you would like to contribute to see an estimate.
This calculator is not personal advice and does not confirm whether you are eligible or how much you can pay into a pension. Results are a guide based on 2025/26 tax rules and do not cover every situation. Tax rules can change and the relief you receive will depend on your circumstances. Contributions over your annual allowance could trigger a tax charge. Your annual allowance may be reduced if you are a high earner or have taken flexible pension benefits.
Fees, clear from the start
Our accountancy fee
From £99+ VAT
37.5% + VAT of the tax relief we secure, minimum £99 + VAT. You only pay if we secure tax relief for you. Nothing to pay upfront. You know the fee before we start.
Worked example
£1,000 of relief, our fee:
£375+ VAT fee
37.5% of £1,000. Below £264 of relief, the £99 + VAT minimum applies.
| Our fee | 37.5% + VAT of the tax relief we secure |
|---|---|
| Minimum fee | £99 + VAT |
| Upfront | Nothing to pay |
| When you pay | Only if we secure tax relief, once the work is complete |
What are relief at source pensions (RAS)?
Pension tax relief is a government incentive to encourage people to save for retirement. In short, you don’t pay tax on the money that you pay into a pension. However many taxpayers don’t understand the tax system and miss out on valuable tax reliefs.
- An automatic 20% tax relief
- Higher-rate relief is included through your Self Assessment.
The amount of tax relief you get is based on your income tax band:
- 20%Basic rate taxpayersIncome between £12,571 and £50,270
- 40%Higher rate taxpayersIncome between £50,271 and £125,140
- 45%Additional rate taxpayersIncome greater than £125,140
Relief at source, NET pay and other things to note
- 01
Net Pay / Salary Sacrifice
Salary sacrifice schemes are similar to Net pay from a tax perspective, as the individual’s gross salary is reduced by the amount of pension contributions, and therefore tax is calculated on a lower amount and there is no additional tax relief that needs to be claimed from HMRC.
- 02
Relief at Source
All private personal pensions and SIPPs operate RAS, so if the taxpayer contributes themselves outside of their employer payroll, it’s guaranteed to be a RAS scheme and they should be claiming tax relief from HMRC.
- 03
Claim Process
If you are a higher rate taxpayer, you need to claim higher rate tax relief either via your self-assessment tax return or by writing to HMRC each year.
If you file a tax return then you just need to fill in the section on pension contributions. State exactly how much you have paid into your pension that tax year but be careful to state the gross contribution.
- 04
Tapered Annual Allowance
The tapered annual allowance is a reduction in the annual allowance for very high earners. If you are affected, your annual allowance is lowered by £1 for every £2 your adjusted income is over £260,000.
If you earn £360,000 or more, you will have the maximum reduction of £50,000 – leaving you with a £10,000 annual allowance.
Common questions
What is Pension Tax Relief
Pension tax relief is a government incentive to encourage people to save for retirement. In short, you don't pay tax on the money that you pay into a pension. However many taxpayers don't understand the tax system and miss out on valuable tax reliefs.
The amount of tax relief you get is based on your income tax band:
- Basic rate taxpayers (income between £12,571 and £50,270) get 20% tax relief
- Higher rate taxpayers (income between £50,271 and £125,140) get 40% tax relief
- Additional rate taxpayers (income greater than £125,140) get 45% tax relief
Individuals earning between £100,000 and £125,140 effectively get 60% tax relief as this is the marginal rate of tax suffered due to loss of personal allowance. Pension contributions reduce taxable income which in turn restores the personal allowance in addition to tax relief on pension contributions.
Note: tax bands above assume a standard personal allowance of £12,570. Rates of income tax, and therefore tax relief, also differ in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK. Basic rate taxpayers receive full tax relief automatically. But for higher and additional rate taxpayers, the method of obtaining tax relief depends on the type of pension scheme operated by the pension provider (relief at source or net pay) - see section 2 below.
Start your tax return
Let our experts help analyse your entire tax situation
From £99 + VAT. 37.5% + VAT of the tax relief we secure, minimum £99 + VAT. You only pay if we secure tax relief for you. Nothing to pay upfront.